Sergio Francisco Reyes is finally facing justice for the murder of 15-year-old Elena Lasswell. Reyes has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to Second Degree Murder, a Class One Dangerous Felony.
In July 2004, witnesses saw Elena and a 17-year-old boy go into her bedroom and shut the door. It was the last time they saw her alive. Elena’s brother and friends found her body in her bedroom the next night. An autopsy confirmed she died from strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.
In 2013, detectives with the Phoenix Police Department were able to use familial DNA to link Reyes to the crime. Exactly 20 years to the day after Elena was found dead, Reyes was extradited from Mexico to Maricopa County.
“This case highlights the tireless efforts of Phoenix Police detectives and MCAO prosecutors who never gave up in the pursuit of justice for Elena and her family,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “This defendant tried to run and hide, but in Maricopa County, the truth will catch up to you and so will law enforcement.”
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