San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that her office secured a conviction of Lisa Gonzales (55), after a trial by jury for a 2018 murder. Ms. Gonzales was convicted of second-degree murder (PC 187(a)) with an allegation that she personally used a deadly weapon (a knife) in the commission of the murder found true (PC 12022(b)(1)).
“The jury’s verdict delivers justice to the victim’s family and friends who continue to grieve and are still deeply impacted by this heinous murder,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “After nearly eight years, this conviction demonstrates my office’s unwavering commitment to getting justice for victims and holding offenders accountable.”
According to testimony and other evidence presented at trial, on June 1, 2018, the victim was reported missing by friends who had not heard from her for several days who were concerned about her given escalating tension between the victim and her roommate, Ms. Gonzales. The next day, another concerned citizen went to the police department to report that a murder may have happened at a residence on the 200 block of 14th Street. Specifically, the person reported that Ms. Gonzales had murdered someone, dismembered the body, and attempted to conceal the body in a container in her basement.
SFPD officers immediately responded and upon arrival, contacted Ms. Gonzales who invited them inside. As they all sat in the kitchen, Ms. Gonzalez told them that she lived in the unit with a roommate and no one else. She also stated that the victim had once lived in the apartment but lied and claimed that she recently relocated to Eureka. She also told the officers that she helped the victim move out on May 15, 2018, and she had not seen her since. Officers then searched the storage area associated with the apartment building and found a blue container that contained human remains, which were later identified as the victim’s remains.
The third roommate told SFPD that in mid-April of 2018, Ms. Gonzales gave the victim thirty days’ notice to move out. On May 15, 2018, when the third roommate came home from work during her lunch hour, Ms. Gonzales told her not to go into the bathroom. Later in that same day, when she came home after work, she noticed a metallic smell throughout the apartment. Shortly thereafter, she heard sawing noises coming from the bathroom, which lasted for four hours. The next morning, Ms. Gonzales was still in the bathroom. When the third roommate got home that night, the bathroom door was open, and the apartment smelled of vinegar and bleach. She also noticed that the blue container that once held her dirty clothes was missing, and she observed a hacksaw under the sink in the laundry room. When she asked where the victim had gone, Ms. Gonzales replied that she had left, “but not the way she wanted to.”
The SFPD Crime Scene Investigation Team processed the bathroom for evidence and located the victim’s blood spatter all over the scene. The autopsy later revealed the victim died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries to her head and heart, including multiple to the victim’s face and skull as well as one sharp force injury to the chest. After Ms. Gonzales killed the victim, she proceeded to dismember her to conceal what she had just done. The victim’s body remained in the blue container in the storage unit until June 2, 2018, when SFPD officers responded to the 14th Street residence.
Prior to the murder, Ms. Gonzales complained to coworkers about the victim refusing to move out. When told of the various ways she could legally evict the victim, Ms. Gonzales responded with, “No thanks, I’ll do it my way.”
The case against Ms. Gonzales was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Demetral, with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Doug Keely, Sid Bagon and Gino Guerrero, and paralegals Jessica Diamond and Julio Flores Guzman. Victim Advocate Maria Reynoso worked closely with the victim’s family through the pendency of this case. Prosecutors were able to develop a strong case against Ms. Gonzales based upon the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Unit’s comprehensive investigation and assistance.
“This was a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking case, and I want to thank the jurors for their careful attention to the difficult evidence and their commitment to justice,” said Assistant District Attorney Melissa Demetral. “I am also grateful to the San Francisco Police Department for their thorough and tireless investigation, as well as to the Victim’s friends and family for their strength and patience over the past eight years. While no verdict can undo this horrific act, we hope this conviction brings a measure of closure and accountability.”
Ms. Gonzales is currently in custody. Sentencing will be scheduled at a future hearing.
Court Number: 20013372
###