San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that the Honorable Judge Teresa Caffesee sentenced Lisa Gonzales (55) to a term of 31 years to life in state prison following her conviction for second degree murder by use of a deadly weapon.
“We continue to thank the jury for its service in this case,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “The court’s sentence will ensure that Ms. Gonzales is held accountable for this heinous crime. While the victim’s family and friends had to wait far too long for this day to come, we are grateful for their trust in our office and the team on this case to deliver justice.”
According to testimony and other evidence presented at trial, the victim was reported missing on June 1st, 2018, by friends who had not heard from her for several days and were aware of existing tensions between her and her roommate, Ms. Gonzales. On June 2nd, a concerned citizen went to the police to report that Ms. Gonzales had murdered someone, dismembered the body, and attempted to conceal what she had done by placing the dismembered body in a container in her basement.
When SFPD officers responded to Ms. Gonzales’ apartment and asked her where her roommate was, she replied that her roommate, the victim, had moved to Eureka and that she had helped the victim move out on May 15th. When SFPD subsequently searched Ms. Gonzales’ basement, they found the container with the victim’s body inside. Further crime scene analysis by the SFPD Crime Scene Investigation Team revealed the victim’s blood spatter all over Ms. Gonzales’ bathroom, despite Ms. Gonzales having cleaned it with bleach. An autopsy of the victim later revealed she died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries to her face, head, and chest.
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.
Court Number: 20013372
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