Pointing to Tony Villegas, prosecutor Shari Tate said: Villegas was sentenced to life in prison and remains behind bars at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City, Florida. When Tony Villegas' roommate confirmed that he returned home late on the night of the murder and asked him questions about pepper spray and how to get rid of it if sprayed on one's body, it raised suspicions about Tony Villegas' involvement in the murder. Albert C. Villegas Obituary Filter by State in . Tony Villegas was blessed with 9 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter.Tony Villegas was born in Corona, California and worked as a commercial truck driver. Thomas Ray Villegas, age 77, of Commerce, California passed away on Friday, September 9, 2022. He was the 2nd eldest of 8 children.. Ernesto Portillo Jr. : Media pioneers' voices resound for listeners It was during this time, he started moon lighting as a Security Officer for AWC where he remained until the end. A witness stated that she saw a car similar to Tonys in the parking lot where Melissas car was eventually found. or anything. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. A jury found Tony Villegas guilty of first-degree murder of his ex-wifes best friend, Melissa Lewis, in March 2008, after deliberating for less than two hours. Villegas, 52, was arrested in 2008 and charged with the death of Lewis, the best friend of Villegas now ex-wife Debra, who was the COO of the now defunct law firm. He is survived by his children Matthew and Amy Herrera, his brothers and sisters Linda . The search for her ended in tragedy when her body was found in a canal. Authorities believed Villegas blamed Lewis for breaking off his marriage to Debra Coffey. Villegas claimed he was innocent and that someone framed him. A motive for her slaying was hard to come by initially. Post Now Post. It was just the worst. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. On the morning of March 8, 1998, four miles from Lewis' home, a maintenance worker at a canal went to inspect what he believed was a clog in the grating system. Nogales Obituaries - Latest Obituaries in Nogales, AZ - Echovita Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Delano, California on facebook. He married his second wife, Sabrina Benbury in 1986 and they had two more beautiful children.In 1991 Tony was led by the spirit of the Lord to move his family to Boise Idaho to help grow a ministry, from there to Florida, Oklahoma and finally back to California. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. The shocking discovery was enough for detectives to get a search warrant for the Hialeah apartment Villegas shared with his roommate. Police say the cell phone moved to where someone dumped her body in the canal before crossing over county lines and stopping at the city of Hialeah, some 30 miles away. But after sifting through her caseloads, investigators could find no red flags. Tony's hard working nature remained steadfast as he provided for his family. Around this time, police received Lewis' cell phone records, which tracked her movements on the night she vanished.
