A 48-year-old man has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend and her daughter with a hammer because he believed they were “witches”.
On January 29, 2014, Estrella Castaneda, 56, and her 25-year-old daughter, Lina Castaneda, were found dead in their blood-splattered bedrooms in Queens, USA. The two women had been brutally beaten to death.
According to The New York Times, Ms Castaneda’s partner, Carlos Alberto Amarillo, called 911 and told an operator what had occurred.
“They were assassinated, hurry they are dead,” he said. “I killed them because they are witches.”
Mr Amarillo was found clasping a bible when authorities arrived, Time reports. He told authorities the “witches” had made him sick by “performing voodoo and casting spells”.
Ms Castaneda’s 7-year-old daughter fortunately survived unharmed.
“Thankfully, the little girl . . . was not harmed during these deadly attacks,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statment. “She will, however, be forever impacted by the absence of both her mother and grandmother in her life.”
Mr Amarillo was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and could face life in prison.
