Where is Juan David Ortiz now?
IN December 2022, Juan David Ortiz was found guilty of the 2018 murders of four women.
Let’s take a look at who Ortiz is and where he is today.
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Who is Juan David Ortiz?
Juan David Ortiz worked as a U.S. Border Patrol supervisor before being convicted of first-degree murder.
Additionally, he is an Iraq War veteran who served in the US Navy.
In 2018, Juan was found guilty of killing four women he picked up within a 12-day period.
A jury of eight women and four men unanimously found Ortiz guilty.
After the verdict, Ortiz’s attorney said he was coerced into confessing and that his client had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since his time in Iraq.
“Look at the man in front of you, the man who was there at the time: broken, post-traumatic stress disorder, migraines, insomnia, nightmares,” defense attorney Joel Perez began.
He continued that investigators “persuaded him, confronted him, promised him all these things. It was an unreasonable request.”
However, District Attorney Isidro Alaniz responded by saying, “It is frightening to have the enemy within the ranks of law enforcement.”
Who were Ortiz’s victims?
Ortiz claimed the lives of four women. These women included:
- Melissa Ramirez, 29
- Claudine Anne Luera, 42
- Guiselda Alicia Cantu, 35
- Janelle Ortiz, 28
In addition, Ortiz was looking for a fifth victim, but she managed to escape and testify against him in court.
His possible fifth victim is Erika Peña.
She remembered running from him and making it to a gas station where a DPS trooper was filling up his car.
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Where is Juan David Ortiz now?
Juan David Ortiz is currently serving his life sentence without parole at the WF Ramsey Unit in Texas.
He was originally incarcerated at the Webb County Jail but was transferred after receiving his sentence.
His case will be explored on Friday’s episode of NBC’s Dateline.
The two-hour special will premiere on Friday, September 15, 2023 at 10 p.m. ET.