A Bexar County Judge sentenced a man to 35 years in prison for the murder of his mother.
Ivan Castro, 33, was found guilty of the May 24, 2018, murder of his mother, Leticia Barnett. Evidence showed Barnett was stabbed multiple times in the neck and face with a steak knife in their home. Initially, Castro said he attacked his mother because she sexually abused him when he was a child. It was later determined that the sexual abuse never happened.
“This defendant took his mother from their family, leaving his sister and stepfather without the woman they loved. I know that the path to justice for this family has been long and challenging, but now that this defendant has been sentenced I hope they can continue to celebrate Mrs. Barnett’s life,” said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales.
Assistant District Attorney Steven Speir of the Family Violence Division prosecuted this case in the 399th District Court. The San Antonio Police Department investigated the crime.