July 6, 2023 — Bryan Taylor, Canyon County Prosecutor, announced today that Erasmo Alcala Diaz, age 59, of Mexico, was sentenced by the Honorable Matthew J. Roker for the felony crime of 2nd Degree Murder. Diaz pled guilty to the charge back in January of this year.
Judge Roker sentenced Diaz to 15 years fixed, followed by 15 years indeterminate, in the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. The Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office recommended a fixed life sentence. The Defendant’s attorney recommended a sentence of 10 years fixed followed by 5 years indeterminate.
Erasmo Diaz
In addition to the prison term, Diaz will be required to submit a DNA sample and a right thumbprint impression to the Idaho database. Judge Roker also ordered Diaz to have no contact with the victim’s family.
On June 11, 2015, Diaz shot and killed his girlfriend, 39-year-old Amparo Godinez Sanchez, inside the couple’s home near Wilder in front of two of their children. Diaz fled the scene before authorities arrived, leading Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities on a six-year manhunt. The search for Diaz ended when he was arrested in Mexico on June 26, 2021, by Mexican Federales with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service. He was returned to the custody of the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office in November 2021 following his extradition from Mexico.
“It’s hard to fathom the heinousness of this crime. This man shot and killed his girlfriend in front of their children, then led authorities on a multiyear manhunt,” said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Douglas Robertson. “I certainly wish the sentence handed down today better reflected the depravity of the crime that was committed. However, I can take some solace in knowing that if Mr. Diaz is ever paroled, he will be extradited back to Mexico to spend the remainder of his life there.”
“I want to thank Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Taylor and his staff for their diligence in this case over the last eight years, as well as the United States Marshal’s Service for their assistance in helping locate Diaz in Mexico in 2021, which brought an end to a six-year manhunt,” added Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “Domestic violence is an epidemic in our society. It is a crime that too often escalates to the point where someone tragically loses their life, and the lives of others are changed forever. While I don’t believe that today’s sentence fits the gravity of the crime, I’m hopeful it can bring some sense of closure to those most closely affected by this horrific crime. Regardless of the sentence, this case should send a message that law enforcement in Canyon County will leave no stone unturned in our relentless pursuit for justice.”