A Warren County jury found Miguel Ortega, 48, of Warrenton, guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action on Oct. 17.
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A Warren County jury found Miguel Ortega, 48, of Warrenton, guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action on Oct. 17.
Ortega shot and killed his ex-wife, Maria Vargas, in May 2021, at a home in Warrenton. The two had recently separated and Ortega had driven to the home after they had an argument over the phone, according to police.
Ortega’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3. Prosecuting Attorney Hannah Dunakey said her office would request a sentence of life without parole.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Ortega in the home near the front door with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. The injury was not life-threatening. Police then found Vargas in the bedroom of the home with a fatal gunshot wound and multiple knife wounds. According to police, two juveniles were present in the home at the time of the murder and witnessed the crime.
Previously, attorneys for Ortega had planned to argue that he was not guilty on the grounds of mental disease or defects, according to previous Record reporting.
Instead, according to Dunakey, attorneys for Ortega argued his crime was one of “sudden passion,” and not premeditated murder.
Under the sudden passion argument, attorneys for Ortega argued he instead acted out of intense emotion. They argued for the lesser charge of second-degree murder.
Dunakey was able to successfully argue he premeditated his actions and committed murder in the first degree.
“Our argument was that he had time to reflect on his decision to kill her, which supports a finding of murder in the first degree,” said Dunakey.
Matthew Radefeld, the attorney for Ortega, said the family and Mr. Ortega were disappointed by the verdict and they planned to appeal.
Radefeld, however, was uncertain if he would be continuing as legal counsel for Ortega.
Dunakey was pleased they were able to return a guilty verdict for the family and commended Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Smith, who acted as lead prosecutor in the case, for her exceptional work.
“It’s really just out of jealousy and control and just what we often see as a domestic violence cycle, and it sadly ended in her murder,” said Dunakey. “So we’re just reminded about how seriously to take domestic violence cases before they reach this level.”