Cincinnati man arrested in grisly cold-case murder outside Toledo

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A Cincinnati suspect faces murder charges 25 years after the slaying and dismembering of a man in Michigan.

The U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday arrested 51-year-old Richardo Sepulveda as well as a Toledo man, 49-year-old Michael Sepulveda on charges including premeditated murder, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

On November 19, 1997, police responded to a cornfield in Blissfield Township, Michigan, around 15 miles northwest of Toledo. They found the body of a naked man whose head had been severed and whose hands had been cut off just above the wrist. The officers observed striations on the ends of the bones, according to Nessel’s media release.

The victim’s identity remains unknown.

The suspects are charged with premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, assault with intent to maim, conspiracy to commit assault with intent to maim, tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.

Each of the first two criminal counts carries a life sentence.

“Michigan State Police worked with multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to gather evidence and establish a timeline of events,” said Nessel. “I am grateful for their persistence in pursuing this case. All crime victims deserve justice regardless of how long it takes to receive it.”

Richardo Sepulveda goes before a judge for an extradition hearing Wednesday morning.

Michael Sepulveda waived extradition.

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