A Lackawanna man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Friday morning for the brutal murder of his wife more than 30 years ago.
The body of Patricia Scinta Rodriguez, a 21-year-old mother of two, was found in a Lackawanna cemetery on April 13, 1979. She had been stabbed 108 times.
Her murder went unsolved until November 2013, when her husband Michael Rodriguez, now 60, was indicted on second degree murder charges after DNA evidence connected him to the crime.
In court on Friday, family members talked about how the years without justice affected them. Rodriguez’s son said his father only used people and never apologized for his mother’s murder. Patricia’s children say she can now, finally, rest in peace.
Defense attorney Paul Cambria says he will immediately file an appeal.
Rodriguez maintains his innocence.
