A high-profile double murder case that shook the small community of Ladyville has reached its final conclusion, with convicted defendant Miguelito Encalada receiving two concurrent life sentences that will require him to serve a minimum of 40 years behind bars.
Encalada was found guilty of the April 20, 2023, fatal shootings of his wife, Desiree Elizabeth Gonzalez, and his younger brother, George Vincent Rochester, which occurred at a property on Scissors Tail Street in the New Site neighborhood. Justice Candace Nanton, the presiding judge in the case, handed down the sentence last week, noting that the convictions carried an automatic life sentence under applicable law. The court ruled that the two sentences will run simultaneously, with their start date backdated to April 24, 2023 — the date Encalada was first taken into custody and remanded following the killings.
In a surprising statement to the court ahead of his sentencing, Encalada extended formal condolences to the families of both victims, but continued to maintain his innocence in the slayings. “I am not behind this crime. I am not the shooter,” Encalada told the courtroom, repeating the claim he made throughout his trial. During the proceedings, his defense team argued that unidentified armed gunmen had entered Encalada’s on-site business, threatened him with violence, stole $8,000 in cash from the property, and murdered the two relatives before fleeing the scene. Encalada was represented throughout the trial by defense attorney Hurl Hamilton, while Crown Counsel Glenfield Dennison led the prosecution on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ office.
Justice Nanton emphasized in her sentencing remarks that the double killing ranked among the most severe homicide cases to come before her court. She highlighted multiple aggravating factors that underscored the gravity of the crime: the intentional use of a lethal firearm, the execution-style close-range nature of the shootings, the loss of two human lives, and the devastating reality that the victims were Encalada’s own immediate family members.
Despite the severity of the convictions, Justice Nanton agreed to adjust the minimum non-parole period to account for documented mitigating circumstances. The judge initially set a 42-year minimum term, but reduced that by two years after considering factors including Encalada’s clean disciplinary record during his time in pre-trial detention, documented efforts to engage in rehabilitation while in custody, and multiple positive testimonials that referenced his positive history as a father and community mentor to young people.
This case, which has drawn significant local attention since the 2023 killings, closes a three-year legal process that has left two grieving families seeking closure, even as the defendant continues to maintain he was not involved in the deaths of his wife and brother.