Timothy Chavira Murdered His Stepmother In 1986, Now He Has Been Sentenced To Life In An LA Doctor's 2019 Murder
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- A recently-released convicted killer pleaded guilty on Monday in a second murder.
57-year-old Timothy Chavira was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the December 2019 murder of 76-year-old Editha Cruz de Leon, a retired doctor.
De Leon immigrated from the Philippines to the U.S., where she was a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist for several years, according to her obituary.
In her free time, she loved to garden, cook and travel, her family said.
De Leon died from "sharp force injuries and strangulation" at her East Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Her body was found two days after her death, sending shockwaves through the community.
Chavira, who murdered his stepmother in 1986, was arrested two weeks after de Leon's death.
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Chavira was eligible for the death penalty due to his prior conviction for murder but will instead spend his life behind bars.
He was convicted in 1988 for first-degree murder in the beating and stabbing death of his stepmother two years earlier, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He was sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison and released on parole in July 2017.
De Leon left behind five sons and five grandchildren. Victim impact statements are scheduled for July 20.
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