Cincinnati, Ohio – A 53-year-old Cincinnati man, Richardo Sepulveda, has been sentenced to life in prison for the 1997 murder of an unidentified man whose dismembered and naked body was found in a Michigan cornfield nearly three decades ago.
Details of the Crime and Investigation
On November 19, 1997, a farmer discovered human remains in a cornfield and immediately contacted law enforcement. Upon investigating, officers found the body of an unclothed male who was missing both hands and his head.
Further examination revealed that the victim’s hands had been severed above the wrists, and there were saw striations on the bone ends, suggesting the dismemberment had been done with a saw-like tool.
Investigators suspected that the crime was connected to international drug trafficking, but the victim’s identity remained unknown for years. It wasn’t until much later that authorities believed the victim to be a 32-year-old Hispanic man from Texas.
Conviction and Sentence
In April 2025, Richardo Sepulveda was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, assault with intent to maim, conspiracy to commit assault with intent to maim, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.
On June 20, he was sentenced to life in prison, marking the conclusion of a decades-long investigation.
Prosecutors also charged Michael Sepulveda, Richardo’s co-defendant, in January 2023. Michael pleaded guilty in August 2024 to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors’ Remarks
Despite the victim’s identity remaining a mystery, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the tireless efforts of law enforcement and the prosecutors involved. She stated, “Every victim deserves to have their case thoroughly investigated and pursued.”
Nessel further noted that the work done by both local and federal agencies finally brought justice to the case, nearly three decades after the horrific murder occurred.