A 66-year-old man in Texas will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his ex-wife, stabbing her 95 times because she had met someone new and planned to move out of the home they still shared after their divorce.
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, Bexar County Criminal District Judge Ron Rangel sentenced Martin Garcia to 45 years in a state prison for the murder of Teresa Moreno Garcia, 66, in 2023.
Garcia reached an agreement with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office to plead no contest to one count of murder in exchange for a maximum 45-year sentence. Rangel also credited Garcia with 454 days already served.
The sentencing hearing
Teresa Garcia’s sons both gave victim impact statements during Monday’s sentencing hearing, describing the victim as a loving mother who had been subjected to domestic abuse by Garcia, according to San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT.
“She did not know how to escape,” said one of Teresa Garcia’s sons, referring to her relationship with Martin Garcia.
“He would say things like, ‘If I can’t have her, nobody can,'” the victim’s other son explained. He also urged the audience to listen to victims of domestic violence, stating that they had known Martin Garcia was abusive for decades.
Prosecutors said that despite their divorce several years ago, the couple continued to live together due to financial difficulties. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Teresa Garcia’s ex “violently attacked her” after she informed him that she had met someone new and was about to move out.
Martin Garcia took the stand on Monday, telling the court, “I loved her very much.”
“She was the only one I loved,” he explained. “I did what I did, I am very sorry, but I loved her.”
The murder
As previously reported by Law&Crime, at approximately 11 p.m. on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, officers from the San Antonio Police Department responded to an emergency call at a residence in the 200 block of Channing Avenue regarding an adult female being stabbed.
The caller identified himself as Martin Garcia before telling the dispatcher that he had just killed his wife by stabbing her to death.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they reported finding the victim — later identified as Teresa Garcia — with multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
The San Antonio Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services were also called to the home. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Martin Garcia had intentionally cut one of his wrists.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation before being taken into custody without incident.
A copy of the arrest report obtained by the San Antonio Express-News revealed additional details about the alleged domestic violence murder.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to receive the most recent real-life crime stories directly to your inbox.
According to the report, Martin Garcia told the 911 emergency dispatcher that he used a knife to murder Teresa Garcia, whom he referred to as his wife, after the two had a heated argument, before slitting his own wrist.
Garcia reportedly explained that they were arguing because he thought his wife was cheating on him. He claimed that during the argument, Teresa Garcia attempted to leave the house, which prompted him to attack and repeatedly stab her.
When officers arrived at the couple’s home, Martin Garcia was waiting for them outside. Teresa Garcia’s body was discovered lying on the floor inside the house.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on the victim and determined the manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was multiple sharp force injuries.
