Palmetto man gets life for murdering his wife

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Palmetto man has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his wife to death during an argument in 2020, authorities say.

Julian Ortiz-Castillo was found guilty March 1 and immediately sentenced.

On Aug. 3, 2020, Palmetto police officers responded to a home in the 1200 block of Second Avenue West, at around 8:30 that Sunday morning.

Police say Ortiz-Castillo allowed them into the home where they found his wife dead from multiple stab wounds. Police say Ortiz-Castillo also had some apparent stab wounds. The couple’s four children, ages 5, 6, 9, and 11, were found sleeping in their bedrooms, unharmed.

The couple had hosted a party for friends the night before. After their guests left, the couple began an ongoing argument that escalated.

He stabbed her 35 times before stabbing himself numerous times in the stomach. Police initially believed the defendant to be a victim until they realized his story of an intruder was implausible -- police uncovered that the door to the house was locked, there was no forced entry, and a doorbell camera failed to capture any intruder.

DNA evidence and testimony from a blood spatter expert determined Ortiz-Castillo had stabbed himself.