Jeremy Vargas Sagastegui
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Vargas Sagastegui (November 1, 1970– October 13, 1998) was convicted
of three counts of aggravated first-degree murder
for the drowning
and beating of Kievan Sarbacher, 3, and the shooting deaths of his mother, Melissa Sarbacher, 21, and a second woman, Lisa Vera-Acevedo, 27.
The killings occurred on November 19, 1995, in a mobile home in rural Finley, Washington
, located east of Kennewick
, where Sagastegui had been baby-sitting Sarbacher's two children. The second child, a 1-year-old girl, was unharmed.
Sometime between the evening hours of November 18 and the early morning hours of November 19, at a residence in Finley, Jeremy Sagastegui sexually abused
, beat, stabbed
, and then drowned Kievan Sarbacher, a three-year-old boy who was in his care. Sagastegui then waited for Kievan's mother, Melissa Sarbacher, to return home. When she did so, he shot her and her friend, Lisa Vera-Acevedo, who had accompanied Sarbacher home.
The convicted triple murderer refused to fight his execution
. His mother filed for a stay on his behalf but it was denied as Sagastegui was found competent, and therefore no third party, including his mother, could file on his behalf.
He was executed on October 13, 1998 by lethal injection
at the age of 27.
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
of three counts of aggravated first-degree murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
for the drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
and beating of Kievan Sarbacher, 3, and the shooting deaths of his mother, Melissa Sarbacher, 21, and a second woman, Lisa Vera-Acevedo, 27.
The killings occurred on November 19, 1995, in a mobile home in rural Finley, Washington
Finley, Washington
Finley is a census-designated place in Benton County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,012 at the 2010 census. It is located to the southeast of the larger city of Kennewick.-History:...
, located east of Kennewick
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
, where Sagastegui had been baby-sitting Sarbacher's two children. The second child, a 1-year-old girl, was unharmed.
Sometime between the evening hours of November 18 and the early morning hours of November 19, at a residence in Finley, Jeremy Sagastegui sexually abused
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
, beat, stabbed
Stabbing
A stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
, and then drowned Kievan Sarbacher, a three-year-old boy who was in his care. Sagastegui then waited for Kievan's mother, Melissa Sarbacher, to return home. When she did so, he shot her and her friend, Lisa Vera-Acevedo, who had accompanied Sarbacher home.
The convicted triple murderer refused to fight his execution
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. His mother filed for a stay on his behalf but it was denied as Sagastegui was found competent, and therefore no third party, including his mother, could file on his behalf.
He was executed on October 13, 1998 by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
at the age of 27.