by | Published
SAN MARCOS, Texas — A Hays County judge sentenced a 49-year-old man to life in prison after he admitted to murdering his girlfriend inside her San Marcos apartment last year, according to the Hays County Criminal District Attorney's Office.
District Judge Joe Pool sentenced Juan Manuel Yanez on May 14, 2026, after Yanez previously entered a guilty plea during a May 6 hearing in the killing of 43-year-old Victoria Valadez.
Prosecutors said the life sentence was the maximum punishment allowed under Texas law. Authorities noted Yanez will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 30 years in prison.
According to evidence presented during the punishment hearing, Yanez called 911 on Feb. 7, 2025, and told dispatchers he had just shot his wife. Investigators later determined Yanez and Valadez were not legally married but had been involved in a romantic relationship for several months.
Officers with the San Marcos Police Department responded to an apartment on River Road, where they found Valadez dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators said there were no signs of a struggle inside the apartment, and evidence suggested Valadez may have been asleep when she was killed.
Surveillance footage from a nearby 7-Eleven recorded approximately 20 minutes before the 911 call showed Yanez arriving in the victim’s truck and purchasing four beers before driving toward the apartment complex.
Authorities said the beers were later recovered at the scene, with two opened and all four still cold to the touch.
Investigators also recovered Yanez’s wallet from the victim’s nightstand.
After calling 911, prosecutors said Yanez disposed of the murder weapon, which has never been recovered, and fled to Houston, where he maintained another residence and separate family.
Authorities in Harris County later apprehended Yanez following a brief manhunt near his Houston residence.
Forensic testing confirmed the victim’s blood was found on clothing and jewelry collected from Yanez, according to prosecutors. Investigators also located gunshot residue evidence.
Police further discovered that the SIM card had been physically removed from Yanez’s cellphone before officers recovered it, which investigators said appeared to be an attempt to prevent authorities from tracking him.
Despite extensive forensic and digital analysis, investigators said they were unable to determine a motive for the killing.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jon English and Abigail Whitaker prosecuted the case.
The investigation was led by Detectives Logan Murphy and Chris Marroquin with the San Marcos Police Department.
