A man who avoided authorities for decades after being accused of murdering his wife in Fairfax County, Virginia, pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of second-degree murder.
Prosecutors said Jose Lazaro Cruz, who is now 60 years old, stabbed and killed his wife, Ana Jurado, back in 1991 on Gouthier Road in Falls Church.
Cruz believed Jurado was having an affair with another man and slashed her across her neck with a knife after an argument, investigators said.
Jurado, 24, died at the scene.
“When Jose Larazo Cruz killed Ana Jurado, he left behind three young children and a devastated community,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “It’s been over 30 years since that dark day, but Fairfax County has never forgotten her or her family.”
Following the murder, Cruz fled the country through the southern border with the help of a smuggler and established himself in El Salvador.
He wasn’t arrested until 2022 when he tried to enter Costa Rica.
After a lengthy extradition process, he was brought back to the U.S. earlier this year in January, and was taken to a Fairfax County jail.
Police said detectives worked the case for years, even traveling to El Salvador in the 90s to gather information.
“He avoided accountability,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis. “We’ve never forgotten the family. We’ve never forgotten the seriousness of this crime.”
Cruz faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in November.
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