LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man received life in prison Friday morning after killing his pregnant stepmother over five years ago, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
The attack happened in March 2019, Ian Magnus Anselmo, 26, strangled his stepmother at the Greenwood Cemetery in Lake County.
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Afterward, officers received a 911 call and when they arrived, they found the stepmother bleeding in her car with a cord draped over her shoulder, the release shows.
Despite attempts to save her life, the stepmother died five days later, investigators said.
Investigators released the 911 call, which revealed that Anselmo was the one who called law enforcement. Police said Anselmo told them at the scene that his dad was going to be very upset.
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“Anselmo, while present at the crime scene, stated to officials that he guessed he had strangled (her),” the release reads. “He further indicated he didn’t remember committing the crime but did remember the argument the two had just prior.”
According to investigators, Anselmo’s defense attorney originally pursued an insanity defense in court, but jurors determined that Anselmo had been sane during the time of the attack.
Anselmo was ultimately found guilty earlier this year of second-degree murder and killing an unborn child by injury to the mother.
“Today, we hold accountable a defendant who chose to take the life of his pregnant stepmother in 2019. This tragic case is a sobering reminder of the consequences of violence and the importance of protecting the vulnerable,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families as we seek to ensure that such acts of cruelty are met with the full force of the law.”
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