A Tucson man was convicted Friday of first-degree murder and two counts of sexual assault in an attack on a woman at Freedom Park two years ago.
Frank Romero, 29, is facing a life sentence with or without the possibility of release when sentenced Jan. 7 by Pima County Superior Court Judge Christopher Browning.
Two men on an early morning walk at Freedom Park found Sandra Stevens' nude body on June 10, 2010, jurors were told during the trial.
Police found a man's watch and a black T-shirt with the cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead on it near Stevens' body, Deputy Pima County Attorney Ryan Schmidt said.
Officers and detectives also found clothes in a nearby dugout, blood, scuff marks, drag marks and footprints.
A couple of hours later, police saw Romero 180 yards away from Stevens' body, washing his hands in a water fountain, Schmidt said. They also saw what appeared to be blood on his shoes.
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An autopsy revealed Stevens, 46, died after being beaten and asphyxiated, Schmidt said. The autopsy also revealed injuries consistent with sodomy and rape.
DNA tests showed the blood on Romero's shoes was Stevens' and his DNA was found inside her body, Schmidt said. The footprints leading from the dugout to Stevens' body also appear to have been made by Romero's shoes, he said.
Jurors also heard from a witness who kicked Stevens and Romero out of her house after finding them naked in her bed together the night before Stevens died. They were also shown surveillance tape taken at the apartment complex of Romero's girlfriend showing Romero wearing a Beavis and Butthead T-shirt that night.
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com On StarNet: Follow the news and events at Pima County's courthouses in Kim Smith's blog, At the Courthouse, at azstarnet.com/courthouse
