Erika Gaytan’s family speaks out after her killer is sentenced

EL PASO, Texas - The family of Erika Gaytan was emotional as Ricardo Marquez learned his punishment Tuesday.

Judge Sam Medrano sentenced Ricardo Marquez to 75 years in prison. He was found guilty of the 2019 murder of Erika Gaytan. She was last heard from while on a date with him in July 2019.

The sentence was delivered after the court listened to two days of impact statements from character witnesses. Testimony included Marquez's former romantic partner, who described him as jealous, possessive, and violent.

"We will never be able to provide the Gaytan family with closure because we were not able to recover the body. We know that was very important to the family, but we feel that this sentence will allow them to put some closure to this tragic moment in their lives and allow them to move forward," said District Attorney Yvonne Rosales.

Gaytan's biological mother, Maria De Lourdes Martinez, spoke after the sentencing and described having a range of emotions.  Saying that, on one hand, she's happy with the sentence, but she knows that it will not bring her daughter back.

"I hope that one day whatever is left of my daughter will be found so that we can give her a proper Christian burial and her son can take her flowers and see her...  and that's what I want for the whole family too," said De Lourdes Martinez.

"I would tell her I miss you, that I need you here with me, and I want to see her every day, and I know it's impossible. That's what I would say," said De Lourdes Martinez.