Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that Alex Anthony Madrid (DOB: 02/1982) has been sentenced to death for the 2013 murder of 14-year-old Claudia Lucero, a freshman at Westwood High School.
The death sentence follows a prior 91-year prison term for related crimes, including kidnapping and sexual assault. Claudia Lucero was reported missing on December 5, 2013, when she didn’t return home from school. The next day, her body was discovered in a dumpster two miles from her home in Mesa.
A medical examiner determined she had been strangled and sexually assaulted. DNA evidence from the scene matched Madrid, leading to his arrest. In October, Madrid was convicted on multiple charges, including:
– First-Degree Murder (Class 1 Felony)
– Kidnapping (Class 2 Felony)
– Sexual Conduct with a Minor (Class 2 Felony, Dangerous Crime Against Children)
– Additional counts of burglary, abandonment of a body, and unlawful flight.
“After 11 long years, Claudia’s family finally has justice,” said County Attorney Mitchell. “I’ve witnessed their pain firsthand and commend prosecutors Christopher Sammons and Jennifer Carper, as well as the Mesa Police Department, for their tireless dedication to this case.” This sentencing marks the end of a decade-long legal battle for the Lucero family, who now have some measure of closure for their unimaginable loss.