A man has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of murdering his pregnant lover just before she was due to give birth. Jose Soto-Escalera, 48, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 23-year-old Tania Wise, who was on the brink of delivering a son named Josiah.
Soto-Escalera, confirmed as the baby’s father through DNA evidence, allegedly killed Tania to conceal their relationship from his wife. The incident took place in August 2018 when Tania was discovered in a ditch in northern St. Lucie County, Florida, with fatal head injuries and a slit throat.
During the investigation, authorities found incriminating communications between Tania and Soto-Escalera, who had not disclosed the affair to his spouse. Tania had informed him of her pregnancy and requested money for an abortion, to which he agreed but she allegedly used the funds for a different purpose, angering him.
Phone records placed Soto-Escalera at the scene of the crime, and his online searches for information on dead bodies in wooded areas further incriminated him. Following a trial, the jury recommended the death penalty, with the judge concurring that it was a just punishment for the double murder.
In a separate incident, Richard Djerf, an Arizona prisoner scheduled for execution for killing the Luna family over 30 years ago, penned a letter seeking forgiveness before his impending death. Djerf expressed remorse for the pain he caused and acknowledged the irreversible consequences of his actions. Despite his apology, he is set to face lethal injection as scheduled on October 17 for the murders of Albert Luna Sr, Patricia, Rochelle, and Damien Luna.
