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ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Jose Antonio Soto Escalera has been sentenced to death for the 2018 murder of Tania Esther Wise and her unborn son, following an 8-4 jury vote delivered on Thursday.
The sentencing comes after the same jury found Escalera guilty on September 19 of two counts: first-degree murder and first-degree murder of an unborn child.
Prosecutors argued that Escalera killed Wise to prevent his wife from discovering their affair. Wise’s body was found in a roadside ditch in rural northern St. Lucie County. An autopsy revealed she had suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and had her throat slit.
Escalera’s next court hearing is scheduled for October 6 at 1:30 p.m., where additional legal proceedings may take place.
