Travis County Man Sentenced To 40 Years For Killing Wife

AUSTIN, TX — The Travis County District Attorney's Office on Friday secured a guilty plea and 40-year prison sentence against a man accused of killing his estranged wife.

Jose Israel Amaya faced a range of punishment from 5 years to life in prison for killing Patricia Campos last year, according to the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Police found the victim had been beaten and strangled, with Amaya's arrest coming at least two days after her death, the DA's office said in a press advisory.

The case dates to March 2, 2018, when a friend of Amaya called police to report the man had confessed to killing his estranged wife. The caller added Amaya was still at the woman's home, leading police to dispatch a SWAT team to the structure, according to the DA's press advisory. After a brief standoff, Amaya emerged from the home before being placed under arrest, the DA said.

Once inside, police found Campos dead on a bed. Suffocation is suspected as the cause of death after investigators determined the woman had been beaten and strangled, the DA's office said. Laboratory testing later found DNA on the woman's hands and neck, prosecutors noted.

As they investigated the death, prosecutors learned the fatal attack came just two months after Campos ended her relationship with Amaya while telling Amaya to leave her home after a New Year's Eve assault during which Amaya is said to have strangled her.

“This case highlights the tragic ways in which domestic abusers escalate violence against their victims," lead prosecutor Mark Pryor said in a prepared statement. "Ms. Campos was a loving mother, extremely hard working and responsible, and took steps to regain control of her life after being abused. I hope this plea agreement is a first step in helping her surviving children and family members move forward with their lives, and I am grateful for their patience and cooperation while helping us bring their mother’s killer to justice.”