Eddy Reyes, 38-year-old former US Customs and Border Patrol Officer, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in the kidnapping and murder of his wife, Claudia Sánchez Reyes, 21, in 2016. The sentence was handed down in Los Angeles on Friday after Reyes pleaded guilty in April kidnapping resulting in death, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“This defendant carried out a despicable, cold-blooded murder of his own wife and now appropriately faces the consequences,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a news release. “Our deepest condolences go out to the victim’s family and our thanks to the investigators and prosecutors who ensured justice was served in this case.”
Reyes met Claudia in El Salvador in 2014 and the couple moved to the United States after getting married that same year. However, their relationship was marked by accusations of domestic violence, and Claudia twice filed restraining orders against Reyes, according to court documents. By 2016, Reyes had begun planning his murder, allegedly motivated by suspicions of an affair, reported The mirror United States.
Prosecutors revealed that Reyes enlisted the help of his brother, identified as “PO” and described as a now-deceased former gang member, to execute his plan. On May 6, 2016, Reyes called Claudia at work, invited her to dinner, and instructed her not to take her regular Uber home. That night, Reyes picked her up in a rented Hyundai Santa Fe, falsely claiming it was a gift. Instead of taking her to dinner, Reyes drove to his mother’s house in Orange, California.
There, her brother, hiding in the trunk, came out and attacked Claudia, hitting her and strangling her with a seat belt, according to prosecutors. After the murder, Reyes and his brother used Claudia’s phone to send deceptive text messages to her workplace, her mother, and her divorce attorney, claiming that she had left Reyes and her son for a new boyfriend.
Reyes subsequently filed a missing person report and attempted to destroy evidence at Los Angeles International Airport. Although investigators uncovered important evidence and arrested Reyes in April 2021, Claudia’s body has never been found. In a sentencing memorandum, Reyes alleged that his brother had disposed of his remains before his death.
The case highlights the tragic consequences of domestic violence and highlights the work of federal authorities to ensure justice for Claudia’s family.