LEAGUE CITY — A Galveston County jury sentenced Rigoberto Argueta-Sontay to 35 years in prison for the murder of Alberto Guzman Brito.

The fatal stabbing occurred at a residence in the 2800 block of Brookmist Lane in League City, Texas. League City police officers responded to a report of a stabbing and found Guzman Brito with wounds to his torso, face, neck, and abdomen. Emergency medical personnel pronounced Guzman Brito dead at the residence.

Argueta-Sontay was standing near the victim when officers arrived and was detained. Investigators interviewed eight men who resided at the home. Several residents reported hearing screams from the bedroom shared by Argueta-Sontay and Guzman Brito. Two witnesses reported seeing Argueta-Sontay stab the victim, and he admitted to investigators he cut Guzman Brito's throat.

Dr. Erin Barnhart with the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office testified that the victim suffered a punctured lung, a severe abdominal wound, and a neck injury that severed his trachea and major blood vessels. Prosecutors presented a recorded interview to jurors in which Argueta-Sontay provided conflicting accounts of the incident. Argueta-Sontay testified in his own defense that he acted in self-defense following an alleged knife attack by Guzman Brito.

The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before rejecting the self-defense claim and returning a guilty verdict. Defense attorneys requested a sudden passion finding to reduce the applicable punishment range, but the jury declined. Prosecutors argued that the circumstances of the homicide and the defendant's inconsistent statements justified a lengthy prison sentence.