Man found guilty on all charges in murder of Pueblo woman

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) - A jury in Pueblo has reached a verdict in the case of a man accused of beheading a woman earlier this year. The trial concluded with the jury deliberating on three serious charges: first-degree murder after deliberation, tampering with a dead body, and abuse of a corpse.

On Thursday, the jury found the defendant, identified as Martinez, guilty on all counts shortly after 11:45 a.m. During the trial, which began with jury selection on February 24 and saw jurors seated by February 27, evidence was presented over several weeks.

Martinez took the stand to defend himself, asserting that he did not kill the victim, Renee Portillos, but instead claimed that she accidentally shot herself with his firearm. Despite his testimony, the evidence presented by the prosecution was compelling.

In their closing arguments, the defense argued that the prosecution had not sufficiently demonstrated the events leading up to the tampering of Portillos' body. However, the prosecution countered this claim by referencing data from Martinez's phone, location tracking, and the findings from the autopsy, all of which implicated him in the crime.

The case has drawn significant attention from the community, culminating in a trial that revealed disturbing details surrounding the incident. The verdict is expected to have lasting implications for those involved and the broader Pueblo community.