San Antonio man who brutally killed woman with ax, machete sentenced to 70 years in prison Rafael Castillo found guilty by jury on Tuesday
SAN ANTONIO – It took a jury about an hour to sentence a man to 70 years in prison for a brutal attack on a woman in November of 2020.
The same jury found Rafael Castillo guilty of murder on Tuesday after deliberating for a little over an hour.
Castillo attacked Nicole Perry, 31, by severing her hands with a machete and then hitting her over the head with an ax.
Perry and Castillo were all staying in a known drug house off West Harlan Avenue when the attack occurred.
The punishment phase began on Wednesday with the state putting up one witness — a prison gang expert who identified Castillo’s tattoos as being affiliated with the Texas Mexican Mafia.
As for the defense, three family friends and Castillo’s sister took the stand all saying that Castillo was a loving person who actively took part in the church they attended.
The state argued that wasn’t enough to spare Castillo and asked the jury for a life sentence.
Castillo will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
WATCH: KSAT court reporter Erica Hernandez answers viewers’ questions about Rafael Castillo murder trial
Related: Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved.
About the Authors Erica Hernandez headshot
Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.
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