On May 9, 2024, David Pagniano, 62, was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The sentence was meted out for the heinous crime of murdering his estranged wife, 39-year-old Sandra Pagniano, in 2017.

While the couple were undergoing divorce proceedings, Sandra Pagniano was abducted from her home, restrained, silenced, and horrifically buried alive in an isolated location approximately 10 miles from her dwelling.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona initiated an investigation into Sandra’s suspicious disappearance around May 19, 2017 during the contentious divorce. A week later, through the utilization of cell phone data and cadaver dogs, authorities uncovered her gravesite in Prescott, Arizona. Sandra’s body was found encased in packing tape, and forensic evidence confirmed she was alive up to five minutes after being buried.

“The death penalty was sought in this case due to the appalling circumstances of the abduction and murder of a young mother,” stated Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane. “Sandra was taken while her children were asleep, bound with packing tape, transported to a secluded area, and buried alive.”

During the investigation, two notes were uncovered, purportedly written by Sandra, citing her departure and granting David full custody of their offspring, as well as ownership of her car and house. However, forensic scrutiny revealed that David Pagniano himself was the actual author of these notes.

David Pagniano was initially charged with second-degree murder but later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, abduction, and forgery. His sentence also included an extra 16.5 years for the charges of kidnapping, fraudulent schemes, and forgery.

The Sheriff’s Office presented a detailed account of Sandra’s last moments, indicating, “The evidence showed that she fought desperately while in the grave and was likely conscious for up to five minutes after being buried.”

At the sentencing, McGrane expressed his hope that the life sentence might provide a measure of closure to Sandra’s family, particularly her two daughters, aged 12 and 8 at the time of their mother’s murder. They were asleep in their home during the abduction.