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Valley man to serve 58 years in killings of wife and roommate

On Monday, Estevanico Palmares was sentenced to 58 years after his convictions on two counts of second-degree murder.

PHOENIX — A Valley man will serve nearly six decades in prison after being found guilty earlier this year of killing his wife and roommate.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said on Monday that Estevanico Palmares, 40, was sentenced to 58 years after his convictions on two counts of second-degree murder.  

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the sentencing comes two months after Palmares' trial.

"This person will serve the maximum prison sentence, so he is unable to hurt someone else,” said Mitchell.

The victims Cristina Palmares, 30, and a 35-year-old man were killed on May 18, 2020, at a home near 48th Street and Broadway Road, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Officers found the bodies after they responded to a welfare check at a home near 48th Street and Broadway Road.

Mitchell said evidence presented during the trial showed a previous history of domestic violence between Palmares and his wife. 

According to Mitchell, two days before the killings, Palmares’ wife bought the handgun used in her murder.  

“This case is an example of the harm that comes to a family and a community when a prohibited possessor with a violent history gains access to a firearm," said Mitchell.

Because Palmares was prohibited from having a gun at the time of the killings, he was also given a concurrent sentence for one count of misconduct involving weapons.

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