A Rosenberg woman will spend the rest of her life in prison. Her name is Irene Banda, 57. She was sentenced to life. Her husband was Ramiro Martinez. He was shot to death in their own home in 2020. Jorge Castellanos, 32 at the time of his arrest, got 60 years. Prosecutors say he pulled the trigger. Both pleaded guilty to murder. Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton announced the sentences.

Martinez was 48 years old. He died on September 11, 2020, inside his Rosenberg home. Prosecutors say his own wife let the killers in the door.

This case took years to solve. Martinez was killed in 2020. Castellanos got caught weeks later at the border. But Banda stayed free for more than three years. A warrant finally caught up with her in 2024. It took a lot of digging by investigators. In the end, both people who planned the killing faced justice.

Prosecutors laid out the plan in court. Banda had a brother named Arnold DeLeon. He lived in Corpus Christi. The day before the killing, Banda went to his home. Castellanos went too. So did Banda's son, Calixtro Serda. Banda told DeLeon that Martinez had hit her. DeLeon said he would "do something about it," prosecutors said.

The next day, Banda gave Martinez a drug called alprazolam. It made him drowsy and less alert. She then let DeLeon and Castellanos into the home. The two men had driven from Corpus Christi. They came in a rented red Hyundai Veloster.

Banda had left a gun by the front door. DeLeon grabbed it. He went into the bedroom. Cops think he missed his first shot. Martinez woke up. He fought back. DeLeon shot Martinez in the back. Then he gave the gun to Castellanos. Castellanos shot Martinez in the head, prosecutors said.

Castellanos tied Banda's wrists with a computer cord. He tied them loose so she could get free on her own. He loaded several of Martinez's guns into Banda's truck. This was done to make it look like a robbery. Castellanos later sold the truck and the guns.

Banda called 911. That is how Rosenberg police started looking into the case. A neighbor had seen the red rental car outside the house. Cops traced the car to Castellanos. They used the rental company's records. The car turned up dumped in Nueces County. Inside, police found a Walmart receipt from Richmond. Store cameras showed Castellanos buying gloves and shirts before the killing. He was caught trying to cross into the United States. It happened at the Hidalgo border.

Castellanos was arrested and charged within weeks. Banda was not charged right away. It took until March 2024 for a warrant to be issued for her. This happened after Castellanos agreed to talk. Police arrested Banda in San Antonio. Her bond was set at $750,000. Investigators later found more proof. They pulled records from cell phones. One text stood out. DeLeon sent it to Banda right before the killing. It read "outside. open."

DeLeon fired the first shot, prosecutors say. He died of natural causes in July 2022. That was before he could be charged. His neighbor Karen Rodriguez helped hide the rental car. She pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in June 2024. She is now on probation.

Martinez's two oldest children spoke at Banda's sentencing. They grew up in Banda's care. They said they were abused. They talked about physical, mental, and emotional abuse. Banda's own lawyers brought in an expert. The expert said Martinez had abused Banda too. Prosecutors pushed back hard on that claim. They showed text messages from Banda's own phone. They said the texts told a different story.

"The truth finds a way to escape even the most evil plots," Middleton said. "I commend the great investigative work to expose the truth and allow us to speak for the victim."

The case is now closed. Banda and Castellanos are both sentenced. DeLeon fired the first shot. He never faced charges. He died before the case against Banda came together. Rodriguez already served her time. She got probation for helping hide evidence. For Martinez's children, this sentencing closes out a six year case over their father's death.