Sentencing continued for San Carlos killer

A jury quickly found Landaeta guilty of nearly beheading Castro, 27, on Nov. 20, 2023, after a two-week trial, where he sometimes refused to attend court or was comatose on the witness stand.

Landaeta’s responsibility for the Sept. 8, 2022, San Carlos murder was never in question, although he claimed imperfect self-defense by a man with mental illness as the reasoning behind the crime during trial. This did not hold up to the prosecution’s rebuttal that any mental illness Landaeta suffered from was unrelated to his full responsibility for the murder.

He will face either 25 years to life or 26 years to life at the jurisdiction of presiding Judge Lisa Novak, Wagstaffe said. Novak could add the extra year as an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon.

The family is prepared to speak during sentencing, Wagstaffe said, and their transcripts will be included in the pre-sentencing report, which is used by parole boards to determine parole eligibility. Although the sentencing discretion is minimal, Wagstaffe said the DA’s office is prepared to use the sentencing hearing as an opportunity to provide as much information as possible for the report.

“[We’re] making sure we’re prepared for when he comes up for parole,” he said.