LANCASTER COUNTY, PA – Ezequiel Almodovar, a 39-year-old Bird-In-Hand resident, was handed two life sentences without the possibility of parole, in addition to 46 months to 13 years, by President Judge David Ashworth in Lancaster County Court on Wednesday.
This sentencing follows Almodovar’s conviction for the murders of Jonathan Rivera and Eugenio Morales-Torres, alongside charges of abusing their corpses and tampering with evidence.
The court heard how Almodovar had not only committed the homicides at his residence but subsequently moved and incinerated the victims’ bodies in a vehicle on a Manor Township farm lane. The defense sought a single life sentence, citing self-defense claims, but was overruled.
On the night of July 27, 2020, East Lampeter Township Police were alerted to the disappearance of Rivera and Morales-Torres. Investigations led to the discovery of their charred remains the following morning, in Morales-Torres’ Ford F-150, identified by the vehicle’s VIN. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office confirmed the cause of death as gunshot wounds and ruled the deaths homicides.
The prosecution presented evidence of multiple gunshots heard by Almodovar’s neighbors, casings on his driveway, and a blood-stained bag in his garage.
