Jury finds man guilty of murdering son-in-law, sentenced to life in prison

A jury Friday found Javier Quinones, the man on trial for the murder of his former son-in-law, guilty of Murder and Interference with Child Custody.

Hours later, the same jury sentenced Quinones to life in prison.

Quinones was convicted for the murder of William John Wolff, who at the time, was involved in a bitter child custody dispute with Quinones’ daughter, Erika Quinones Wolff.

William Wolff , a professor at El Paso Community College, was found shot to death in December of 2015 outside of his brother’s law office on the 4000 block of Skyline in Northeast El Paso.

Quinones, along with his wife, daughter and granddaughter, fled to Mexico. Arrest warrants for “interference with child custody” were obtained for the victim’s ex-wife and her parents. All three were taken into custody at a port of entry in California in January 2016.

In court, Quinones’ lifelong friends testified they were alarmed when Quinones allegedly asked them about a “sicario.”

Cumero Valenzuela Ramirez took the stand and said Quinones called him out of the blue in the summer of 2015 and told him his daughter was getting divorced and they were trying to gain full custody of the woman’s 2-year-old daughter.

He said Quinones told him they were worried they would lose the case because Wolff was influential. He then said Quinones asked him if he knew a hit man.

Another friend of Quinones, Luis Manuel Villareal, testified Quinones called him in mid-2015 to ask if he knew any hit men.

Quinones daughter and wife were also charged with Interference with Child Custody. No trial date has been set.