Elmont Man Sentenced for Killing Ex at Belmont Racetrack

Elmont Man Sentenced for Killing Ex at Belmont Racetrack
Close-up of Jockeys racing thoroughbreds at an early morning practice

NASSAU COUNTY, NY – Jose Franco-Martinez, a 58-year-old Elmont resident, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Tuesday for the June 2018 murder of his ex-girlfriend at the Belmont Racetrack.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the sentencing following his conviction of Murder in the Second Degree on April 4.

Franco-Martinez stabbed his ex-girlfriend, Maria Larin, more than 20 times as she was working in the stall area of Barn 61 at Belmont Racetrack.

The murder was the culmination of Franco-Martinez’s trip from Kansas to New York, fueled by rage over their ended relationship.