LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. (WOLF) — A New York man has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison for the 2021 murder of Helena Johnson in a Hazle Township motel.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday confirmed on Thursday that Joseph Sarmiento, 40, was handed the decades-long sentence after being found guilty but mentally ill of third-degree murder in February.
Johnson, 41, of Massachusetts, was found dead on June 6, 2021, at the Red Carpet Inn on North Church Street. Investigators said she had been staying with Sarmiento, who claimed he found her unresponsive in the bathtub.
Surveillance footage, however, showed the two entering the motel room at 6:59 a.m. on June 4. Sarmiento was later seen leaving alone about two hours later and did not return for roughly 15 hours, at which point he called 911.
A forensic pathologist testified that Johnson suffered at least 10 blows and showed signs of strangulation. Her cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma.
“This defendant’s attempts to avoid accountability for the brutal killing of Miss Johnson ended today with this decades-long prison sentence,” said Attorney General Sunday. “We hope this verdict and sentence provide a sense of solace for the people who loved her and miss her every day.”
Among the victim impact statements read in court was a heartfelt letter from Johnson’s sister, who recalled her laugh, their vacations, and the special moments they shared.
Sarmiento was charged by the Pennsylvania State Police shortly after Johnson’s body was discovered.
