This is an update to a story El Tejano first reported on August 7, 2026.
A judge sentenced Julio Diaz, 38, to life in prison. That happened on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Diaz killed Robert Wise outside the McAllen Masonic Lodge. That happened back in 2023. A jury found Diaz guilty of murder in August 2026. The jury also found him guilty of two counts of arson. That means he set fires on purpose.
The judge gave Diaz life in prison for the murder. He also gave Diaz 50 years for each arson charge. Those two 50 year terms run together. They do not add extra time. The life sentence stays the same.
Diaz's case started in July 2023. McAllen police arrested Diaz two days later. They found Wise shot outside the lodge.
Police also tied Diaz to two other fires. One fire hit the McAllen Masonic Lodge. That fire came a full year before Wise was shot. The second fire hit the Weslaco Masonic Lodge. That fire happened on Feb. 20, 2023. It burned the whole building down.
The jury found Diaz guilty in August. After that, Diaz made a choice. He asked the judge, not the jury, to pick his final sentence.
People across the Rio Grande Valley have watched this case for years. Wise was found dead outside the McAllen lodge back in 2023. Now, three years later, the courts gave the final sentence.
El Tejano first wrote about this case in August 2026. That is when the jury found Diaz guilty. Read that story here: https://www.eltejanorgv.com/jury-finds-alamo-man-guilty-in-mcallen-masonic-lodge-murder/
