A suspect who fled to Mexico after being questioned by Dallas police when his ex-girlfriend disappeared has been sentenced to life in prison for her 2015 death.
Faustino Lara Valdez was convicted Friday of murder in the death of Marisol Espinosa. The 34-year-old hairdresser was reported missing after failing to show up for work at a mall.
The 37-year-old Valdez, who did not testify in his Dallas trial, faced up to life in prison during the penalty phase.
Police questioned Valdez shortly after the woman's December 2015 disappearance.
Espinosa's remains were discovered weeks later dumped under a Dallas highway bridge. A plastic bag was over her head. A medical examiner determined Espinosa died of suffocation or strangulation.
The FBI says Valdez was returned from Mexico in July 2017 to face a murder charge.
