Solomon Martinez, 27, has been convicted of first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body, and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of 47-year-old Renee Portillos.
Portillos’ remains were discovered on January 10, 2024, near Fountain Creek in Pueblo, Colorado. Martinez, a security guard, was arrested after a tip-off from his roommate.
Police found a severed human hand in a plastic bag inside Martinez’s jacket pocket during his arrest. Martinez later told authorities that the hand had been in his jacket for two days.
The prosecution presented a range of evidence over a 14-day trial, including phone records, location data, and autopsy results, all of which helped to confirm Martinez’s involvement in the crime.
Martinez’s defense claimed Portillos shot herself while under the influence of fentanyl, but the jury found the evidence against Martinez compelling.
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DNA from both Portillos and Martinez was discovered on a condom found at the scene, and in a series of jailhouse phone calls, Martinez allegedly confessed to killing Portillos.
Martinez was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Portillos’s sister, Cathy Peralta, expressed mixed emotions after the verdict, stating, “It’s bittersweet, we can’t get her back, but we finally got justice.”
She added that now, “my sister can rest,” while Martinez will face the consequences of his actions in prison.
