Man accused of strangling ex’s 14-year-old daughter sentenced to death, AZ officials say
A 42-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting and killing his ex’s teenage daughter has been sentenced to death, according to prosecutors and news reports in Arizona.
Alex Anthony Madrid was sentenced to death Jan. 16, a little more than 11 years after the body of 14-year-old Claudia Lucero was found in a dumpster, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The Mesa girl had been strangled and “her body showed signs of sexual assault,” according to prosecutors.
Semen from her body matched Madrid, who was later found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual conduct with a minor, second-degree burglary, abandonment or concealment of a dead body and unlawful flight from law enforcement, prosecutors said.
His death sentence “is in addition to the 91 years he already received for kidnapping and other non-capital charges related to the same assault,” prosecutors said.
Madrid’s attorney declined to comment Jan. 20 in an email to McClatchy News.
After his sentence was delivered, Madrid thanked jurors, saying, “I thought you were going to go back there, take 10 minutes, and come to your decision. At least you guys thought about what this was. I know it probably wasn’t easy on you guys,” The Arizona Republic reported.
Madrid broke off his relationship with Lucero’s mom earlier in 2013, the outlet reported.
He moved out of the home after the break up, KPNX reported.
Lucero was a high school freshman “with many friends,” an obituary said.
Her family reported her missing Dec. 5, 2013 when she didn’t return from school, and her body was discovered the next day, according to prosecutors.
“After waiting 11 painful years to see Claudia’s murderer be held accountable, the day has finally arrived for Claudia’s mother and the Lucero family,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the news release.
Mitchell thanked Mesa police and the prosecutors who worked on the case “for their unwavering dedication for more than a decade to getting justice for Claudia and her family.”
Mesa is about a 20-mile drive east from Phoenix.
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Man accused of strangling ex’s 14-year-old daughter sentenced to death, AZ officials say."
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