29 Years Later, Man Sentenced For Slaying Of His South Jersey Ex-Girlfriend

MAYS LANDING, NJ — Almost 30 years later, a man once featured on "America's Most Wanted" and remained a fugitive for more than 25 years after the killing of his ex-girlfriend was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Francisco Martinez, 53, was sentenced Monday in the stabbing of Patricia Boney 29 years ago on Feb. 25, 1994, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said. The sentencing occurred after an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw his guilty plea.

On that day, Martinez went to Buena Borough to confront Boney, who had moved on from him and had no desire to reunite, officials said.

He stabbed her more than 17 times in front of the former couple's one-and-a-half-year-old child, as Boney lay in her bed, according to officials.

Martinez then fled the scene in Boney's 1982 Camaro, officials said, leaving Boney to be discovered by her two sons, aged 9 and 11.

The two boys, upon discovering their mom and baby brother covered in blood, quickly called 911, officials said.

Boney was able to tell police that Martinez was her killer before she died, officials said. An autopsy revealed that she had "multiple defensive wounds" on her arms and hands along with a four-and-a-half inch wound that penetrated her heart, officials said.

Her Camaro was found in Houston, Texas, on March 8, 1994, officials said. Officials believe that Martinez crossed the border into Mexico, where he successfully hid under an assumed identity until Atlantic County and Mexican authorities discovered him working and living in the Sinaloa region, officials said. Martinez had been one of New Jersey's most wanted fugitives for decades, having been featured on "America's Most Wanted" at one point.

He was extradited to New Jersey last year.