KC man who declared ‘I won’ after killing wife to spend life in prison
A Kansas City, North, man who declared “I won” after killing his wife has been sentenced to life in prison.
Thomas C. Santamaria Jr. will not be eligible for parole.
Santamaria, 45, was convicted by a Clay County jury in August of first-degree murder in the 2015 beating and strangulation death of his wife, Yuvett V. Santamaria.
“It’s a tragic case,” Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel White said in a written statement after Tuesday’s sentencing. “Video and audio recordings show the defendant as he is being led by police away from the crime scene telling an acquaintance ‘I won.’ ”
Thomas Santamaria suspected that his wife was having an affair and wanted a divorce, according to trial testimony.
Officers found 50-year-old Yuvett Santamaria dead on the bedroom floor. Her husband was asleep in the bed in the same room.
As he was being led away, he made the statement about having won.
“Winning would have been to acknowledge problems in his relationship and working with Yuvett to resolve these issues,” White said. “If that failed, a divorce would be an option. But beating her to death was a fool’s choice.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "KC man who declared ‘I won’ after killing wife to spend life in prison."