A Toledo man was sentenced this week in connection to the 1997 murder of a "John Doe" in Lenawee County, reportedly connected to international drug trafficking.
According to the Michigan Attorney General's Office, Michael Sepulveda, 51, was sentenced to 10-30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder last year.
On Nov. 19, 1997, police were called to Blissfield Township after the discovery of human remains in a cornfield. When police arrived, they found the body of an unidentified man who was missing his head and both hands.
In January 2023, Michigan AG Dana Nessel charges Michael Sepulveda and another co-defendant, Richardo Sepulveda, 53, of Cincinnati, in connection to the homicide.
In April, a jury convicted Richardo on several charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He's scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
“I am grateful for the tireless efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in my office for securing this sentence,” Nessel said in a statement. “My Department remains committed to delivering justice for crime victims and holding violent offenders accountable, no matter how long it takes.”
The victim's identity is still unknown, but prosecutors say he's believed to be a 32-year-old man from the Corpus Christie/McAllen, Texas area.
