Felon Who Tortured, Killed Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison

A convicted felon who whipped and pummeled his girlfriend until she died was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole.

Edgar Silva, 28, of Temecula, was convicted last month of first-degree murder with a special circumstance allegation of inflicting torture in the course of a killing for the 2013 death of 20-year-old Shirley Chanel Corrales.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis imposed the sentence required by law.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Trial Proceedings to Begin in Fatal Beating Case
• Felon Convicted of First Degree Murder in Brutal Fatal Beating of Girlfriend at Temecula Home

According to prosecutors, Silva had a history of domestic violence and was physically abusive to Corrales throughout their yearlong relationship.

The victim frequently stayed with the defendant at his single-story home at 44734 Calle Hilario, despite her family’s pleas to steer clear of him.

Deputy District Attorney Erica Schwartz wrote in a trial brief that Silva used methamphetamine and marijuana and was unemployed at the time of the crime, renting out parts of his home to cover his mortgage.

On Aug. 16, 2013, Silva and Corrales were in the master bedroom, “talking about the past,” when the defendant became angry and began whipping the victim repeatedly with cable wires torn out of the wall, Schwartz said.

She said that a neighbor heard Silva shouting obscenities at Corrales, declaring that he intended to “kill her.” However, the witness did not call 911 for fear of retaliation, according to the brief.

Silva later admitted to investigators that he used everything within reach to strike Corrales, including a broken broom handle and PVC pipe with wires dangling out of it. He could not recall how long the beating lasted, though he acknowledged that the young woman was weeping and begging him to stop hitting her.

Video gleaned from Corrales’ iPhone included a 32-second clip of Silva standing over her, glaring as she sits on the end of a bed, pleading with him not to strike her again, according to the prosecution.

Corrales eventually fell unconscious, and Silva told authorities he fell asleep next to her, but realized several hours later that he’d gone too far when multi-colored bruises surfaced all over her body. According to the brief, the defendant called a friend to check on Corrales, telling the man, “She looks like she’s in a lot of pain. Just help her.”

The man and his girlfriend moved the victim from the bedroom into the living room and placed her on a couch, where they noticed she wasn’t breathing, Schwartz said. They attempted CPR and called paramedics, but by the time crews arrived, Corrales had died. An autopsy later showed she had been struck more than 50 times with objects that resulted in blunt force trauma to her head and internal organs.

Silva fled the house before sheriff’s deputies arrived. According to the prosecution, he managed to hide from investigators overnight, ducking inside a neighbor’s empty hot tub and pulling the spa cover over his head. A K9 team located him the next day, forcibly removing him from his hiding place.

According to court records, Silva had two prior felony convictions for domestic violence and was on probation at the time of his arrest. Three women who had been in relationships with the defendant testified that he was volatile and beat them regularly. One woman alleged he punched and kicked her when she was pregnant with his child.