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Man sentenced to 5 life terms in killings of wife, daughters

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — A Roswell man who pleaded no contest in the 2016 killings of his wife and their four daughters ages faces five consecutive life sentences.  

Juan David Villegas-Hernandez’s pleas to five counts of first-degree murder ended his trial on May 13 and he was sentenced May 19 by state District Judge Dustin K. Hunter. Prosecutors said Villegas-Hernandez shot Cynthia Villegas and their daughters ages 3-14 after he learned that his wife planned to divorce him.

Prosecutors said Villegas-Hernandez shot the victims at close range at their home before fleeing to Mexico. He was apprehended by Mexican authorities and later extradited.