What happened to Megan Barroso?
Megan Barroso was a 20-year-old part-time college student in California who was murdered after celebrating the 4th of July holiday with friends in 2001. Her rental car was found abandoned near a highway underpass with no sign of Megan anywhere.
Just under 2 weeks after Megan’s disappearance, the ballistics team returned the results on shell casings found at the crime scene, which connected the shells to an AK-47 assault rifle.
Who is Vincent Sanchez?
An investigation into a series of rapes and kidnappings in Simi Valley in 1996 was discovered to have links with Megan’s disappearance.
On the 26th of July 2001, Vincent Sanchez was arrested for burglary of his neighbour’s house. While in custody, Sanchez asked his roommate to get rid of a bag filled with personal items. Those items were revealed to be videotapes of Sanchez attacking women. The roommate was questioned and mentioned that he had an AK-47 rifle, which Sanchez had taken weeks earlier. Investigators suspected Sanchez was the man responsible for Megan Barroso’s disappearance.
Investigators believed Sanchez had been stalking Megan in the early hours of the 5th of July, chased her in his truck, and then shot into her car before dragging her away from the scene. On the 3rd of August, a body was found 15 miles from where Megan was abducted.
Vincent Sanchez was charged with the first-degree murder of Megan Barroso. On the 29th of July 2003, Sanchez was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to death.
Where is Vincent Sanchez now?
Executions in California were frozen by a court order in 2006, with Vincent Sanchez now serving a sentence of life in prison.
Homicide for the Holidays featured an episode on the case, which is currently airing on Oxygen True Crime.
What do you think of Vincent Sanchez’s case? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Thanks a lot, Governor Gavin Newsom!