A Texas man, found guilty of killing, dismembering and burning the remains of his ex-girlfriend, offered no remorse when he was sentenced to life behind bars.
A jury convicted Andres Tarnava, 36, for the shooting death of Marisol Klingelhofer in April 2021.
In court, jurors watched footage of Tarnava’s interrogation with two Texas Rangers, during which he confessed to shooting Klingelhofer four times in the face because he wanted her to face the consequences for allegedly stealing his father’s military ID and Social Security card.
He showed no remorse in the interrogation, telling the rangers: “My dad was my world and I would do it again.”
He explained his motive to the rangers: “You aren’t just going to take something from me and just let it go.”
Tarnava also admitted throwing his gun away before burning her body “whole.”
But a friend of Klingelhofer took the stand, testifying that Tarnava “told me he cut her up and burned her.”
The witness also told the jury about the last moments he saw her alive.
The pair were sitting and talking in a pickup truck when, the witness said, “I saw him pull out something, looked like a gun, and shot her twice.”
“I heard her say, ‘No, no.’ He shot her once and she started yelling again. And he shot her again and I didn’t hear more voice.”
A jury convicted Tarnava in June.
Klingelhofer was a mother. One of her children, Priscilla Gonzalez, told Fox San Antonio in June: “My mom didn’t deserve that.”
“We didn’t get to say goodbye, we didn’t get to give, I didn’t get to give her that last hug and tell her I love you,” she told the outlet.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales also shared his condolences.
“There is never a reason to use violence in any situation,” Gonzales told WOAI in a statement. “Had the defendant not taken matters into his own hands, Marisol would be alive today.
“Our office is always ready to seek justice and today’s verdict is a representation of that. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Marisol Klingelhofer.”
