Adam Crespo, a 49-year-old Florida resident, was convicted of second-degree murder on Monday for the 2019 killing of his girlfriend, Silvia Galva, aged 32. Crespo had initially claimed that Galva’s death, resulting from a spear wound to her chest, was accidental. The jury, however, after deliberating for less than two hours, found Crespo guilty of the crime.
The defense’s sole witness, a retired medical examiner, suggested that the cause of Galva’s death should remain “undetermined.” Despite the defense’s dramatic reenactments of the potential sequence of events leading to the fatal incident, the jury rejected their argument.
The police report, as reviewed by Law&Crime, revealed that officers were called to the home shared by Crespo and Galva on the night of July 12, 2019. They found Galva on the bedroom floor, suffering from a chest wound. Despite attempts to save her life, Galva succumbed to her injuries, caused by a spear that had been used as a decorative bedpost.
Crespo, during a recorded police interrogation, claimed that he had been in a fight with Galva on their bed. He said he had tried to pull her off the bed by her ankles, and she must have grabbed the spear to prevent herself from being pulled off. Crespo claimed that he heard a “snap” while turned away from Galva and found the 12-inch blade embedded in her chest when he turned back. He removed the blade and called for a neighbor to dial 911 while he applied pressure to the wound.
Upon their arrival, the police discovered the broken spear and blade. The bedsheet was also pierced by the blade, which had penetrated Galva’s body completely.
During the trial, Assistant State Attorney for the Broward State Attorney’s Office, Jaclyn Broudy, argued that Crespo was clearly guilty of second-degree murder and harbored ill will towards Galva. The prosecution presented another medical examiner who testified that the angle and force of the wound indicated a homicide. Broudy stated that there was no possible scenario in which this could have been an accident.
Crespo’s defense attorney, Christopher O’Toole, countered that there was no physical evidence to suggest that Crespo had wielded the spear. He maintained that the lack of physical evidence was because the incident was an accident, not a murder. However, the jury sided with the prosecution, convicting Crespo of second-degree murder. His sentencing is scheduled for October 31.