On May 9, 2024, David Pagniano, aged 62, was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the gruesome murder of Sandra Pagniano, his estranged wife, which occurred in 2017.
At the age of 39, Sandra Pagniano was going through a divorce process with her husband when she was kidnapped from her home. She was tied up, muzzled, and buried alive in a remote location around 10 miles from her house.
Following her suspicious disappearance on May 19, 2017, during the acrimonious divorce, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office started an investigation. Through mobile phone data and the use of cadaver dogs, they found the burial site in Prescott, Arizona, a week later. Sandra’s body, wrapped in packing tape, was unearthed, and forensic examination revealed that she had survived up to five minutes after being buried.
Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated, “The death penalty was sought in this case due to the appalling circumstances of the abduction and murder of a young mother. Sandra was taken while her children were asleep, bound with packing tape, transported to a secluded area, and buried alive.”
The probe also uncovered two letters purportedly written by Sandra, stating that she was leaving and giving David full custody of their children, alongside ownership of her automobiles and house. However, forensic scrutiny determined that David Pagniano had written these notes himself.
County sheriff’s representatives have stated that mobile phone records indicate David Pagniano was present near the burial site several days prior to his wife’s disappearance and on the evening she was abducted.
Originally facing charges of second-degree murder, David Pagniano later admitted to first-degree murder, kidnapping, and forgery. His sentencing included an extra 16.5 years.
The Sheriff’s Office provided a detailed account of Sandra’s last moments, specifying, “The evidence showed that she fought desperately while in the grave and was likely conscious for up to five minutes after being buried.”
During the sentencing, McGrane voiced his hope that the life sentence would offer some closure to Sandra’s family, particularly her two daughters, aged 12 and eight at the time of their mother’s murder, who were asleep in the house during the abduction.
