Man sentenced to life in prison for killing and mutilating the body of a gay man
Andrew Czarnecki robbed, murdered and burnt the body of Gavino Rodriguez back in 2013
By Steve Brown
A man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a gay man and mutilating his body.
Andrew Czarnecki, 24, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for robbing, murdering and burning the body of Gavino Rodriguez back in 2013, The Detroit News reported.
Rodriguez was last known to be alive in July that year and his mutilated body was found in southwest Detroit.
As well as a life sentence, Wayne County Circuit Court judge Michael Hathaway also sentenced the killer to 11-20 years for armed robbery and 57 months to 11 years for the mutilation of a dead body.
Carjacking charges were dropped against him.
During the sentencing, Hathaway said: “It was pretty obvious that this defendant committed and helped someone else commit along the way an unspeakably…. Horrible crime, so this is not a verdict or sentence that I have any second thoughts or reservations about at all.”
He was found guilty earlier this month following a jury trial.
Fair Michigan Foundation President Dana Nessel said in a statement earlier this month: “This conviction in a cold-case murder of a gay man illustrates the Fair Michigan Justice Project’s resolve, in association with the Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate and vigorously prosecute serious crimes against the LGBTQ community.”
Czarnecki’s co-defendant, Hameer Alkotait, is set for a pre-trial hearing in February with his trial scheduled for March.