Laredo, TX – A Texas man received a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend and her daughter. Rene Mendez was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of 40-year-old Sylvia Ramos and 19-year-old Brianna Ramos.
A jury delivered the verdict on Friday and a judge subsequently sentenced him without the possibility of parole. The events leading to the murders began on March 6, when the brother of Sylvia Ramos alerted a Laredo police officer, shouting that his sister had been killed.
Police arrived at an apartment on Lomas Del Sur Blvd and found both victims deceased. Mendez was discovered later that day at a nearby Motel 6 after a reported drug overdose.
An investigation revealed that Mendez stabbed Sylvia Ramos 55 times, primarily in the neck, after first killing her daughter, Brianna, by strangulation. According to court records, he left the apartment to socialize with a friend, who reported that Mendez appeared normal during their time together.
Hours later, Mendez returned to the apartment, where he attacked Sylvia with a pocket knife upon her arrival. Assistant District Attorney Kassandra de Hoyos described the scene during the trial, highlighting Mendez’s actions after the murders.
Prosecutors stated that Mendez stole Sylvia’s bank card, withdrew $500, and purchased drugs. He reportedly consumed a combination of pills, cocaine, and alcohol in a suicide attempt after the killings.
De Hoyos emphasized the lack of justification for the murders, stating that addiction did not cause the violence against Sylvia and Brianna. The trial concluded with the jury’s decision, sealing Mendez’s fate for life in prison.