Sotomayor set for sentencing after guilty plea

Sotomayor set for sentencing after guilty plea

Dionte Berry, Editor-in-Chief

After over a year since the death of senior pre-veterinary major Sarah Townsend, Dexter, Kentucky native Julius Sotomayor is set for sentencing today after pleading guilty to murdering Townsend and two additional charges.

Townsend’s body was found in a ditch in the Cherry Corner area with multiple gun wounds on March 26, 2021.Sotomayor was arrested the following day.

Along with murder being a class A felony, Sotomayor was charged with tampering with evidence and vehicle theft, both class D felonies. Sotomayor’s cash bond was set at $1 million.

During the investigation, Kentucky State Police Detective Trevor Pervine said Sotomayor admitted to shooting Townsend multiple times. However in his initial court appearance in May 2021, Sotomayor pled not guilty to the charges against him. 

Following Townsend’s death, the Pre-vet Club planted a tree in the Murray State Arboretum honoring the memory of Townsend. Townsend was also recognized in a vigil mourning the acts of violence against women during the spring of 2021. 

Following his not guilty plea, Sotomayor made multiple reappearances in the Calloway County Circuit Court. The Murray Ledger and Times reported, Sotomayor made a guilty plea in July 2022. 

Sotomayor will appear in Calloway County Circuit Court at around 1:30 p.m. Stay tuned into The News for updates regarding Sotomayor’s sentencing.