Man convicted of killing pregnant girlfriend sentenced to death

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A man convicted of killing his girlfriend and their unborn child was sentenced to death Friday afternoon.

“Therefore, Jose Soto-Escalera, I hereby sentence you to death for the first-degree murder of Tanya Wise. I also independently sentence you to death for the first-degree murder of her unborn child,” Judge Lawrence Mirman said in court on Friday.

WATCH BELOW: Jury recommends death for man convicted of killing girlfriend

St. Lucie County jury recommends death sentence for man convicted of killing pregnant girlfriend

Last month, Soto-Escalera was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors said that Soto-Escalera killed Wise so his wife would not find out that he and the victim were involved in a relationship. DNA evidence confirmed Soto-Escalera was the unborn baby’s father.

In August 2018, the body of Wise, 23, of Port St. Lucie, was found face down in a ditch off a rural road in northern St. Lucie County. Soto-Escalera, who was 41 years old at the time of the killing, was arrested 28 days after Wise’s body was discovered.

During the week-long trial, the jury was shown autopsy photos where Wise suffered trauma to her head and throat.

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