Murderer Brought to Justice After 19 Years

0:00A man in his 40s has been handed a life sentence with no parole for 50 years after murdering a woman in her Kansas apartment nearly 20. Years ago, Angel Herrera stabbed Maria Morphin Rojas to death in LaNexa back in 2005 during a burglary and gone wrong. Authorities identified Herrera as the suspect right away, but he fled the country and stayed on the run for more than a decade. LaNexa police never gave up the chase, tracking leads across borders. Chief James Raider led the long investigation, noting the victim had little family nearby to push for justice. After years of work, Raider traveled to El Salvador, his first trip abroad in a 31-year career to bring Herrera back for trial. This week, a Johnson County judge imposed the hard 50 for premeditated first-degree murder, plus 34 more months for the burglary. Herrera, now 43, faces at least 50 years behind bars before any parole chance. With this case closed after almost two decades, it underscores how persistence can deliver long overdue accountability for victims like Morphin Rojas.

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