The Cuban Zadiel Rivero, 44, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of 31-year-old Frank Canet, which occurred in February 2019 in front of his residence in Hialeah Gardens.
Despite claiming to have killed Canet in self-defense, the jury did not accept his account of the events.
River's brother, Zandy de la Osa, who was also tried in connection with the case for being present during the murder, was acquitted and released in September.
Zadier Rivero, who stabbed the victim 29 times, claimed during the trial that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life and that of his brother.
He stated that Canet was under the influence of drugs and that he had threatened him with death. However, the jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty of second-degree murder.
Zandy de la Osa, caught on video holding a metal pipe and assisting in restraining Canet, was acquitted in a ruling that his lawyer, Jonathan Jordan, described as "a unique circumstance."
In an act of support, Zandy asked the judge for mercy for his brother, describing him as a "good brother and good father."
Rivero's mother also joined the defense, highlighting her son's dedication to the family.
However, Judge Miguel De La O deemed that the brutality of the act was inconsistent with the claimed self-defense.
"You put your hand in your pocket to take out the knife. And then it was a true atrocity what you did to this man," said the judge.
Despite the prosecutors' request for a life sentence, the judge decided on a 40-year sentence.
For Zadiel Rivero, this is not the only case in court, as he is also facing charges for sexually abusing a girl, along with his wife.
The crime
The murder for which Zadier Rivero has been sentenced to 40 years in prison occurred on the night of February 11, 2019, in the parking lot of a house on the 8900 block of Northwest 112th Terrace.
According to images captured by a security camera in the area of the incident, during an argument with Frank Canet, Rivero stabbed him around twenty times in the torso with a kitchen knife, before throwing him to the ground.
Zandy de la Osa, Rivera's brother, then proceeded to place his left leg and a metal pipe over the victim's body to ensure that it would not move.
When Canet finally managed to escape and get into his vehicle, Rivero began to pursue him.
The victim's girlfriend, Dilaxy Madruga - who was 18 at the time - attempted to call Emergency services, but the call was terminated when Rivero took her phone away.
The couple managed to escape and reached Mount Sinai Hialeah, but Canet passed away.
Zadier Rivero, who will be around 70 years old upon completing his sentence, leaves his family with mixed feelings, as they now grapple with sadness over his conviction and relief at Zandy's acquittal.
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