Santa Barbara County Man Gets Life Without Parole in 1988 Santa Maria Murder After Covert DNA Match Closes Decades-Old Case

SANTA MARIA, CA — A Santa Barbara County judge sentenced Aloysius Winthrop James, 59, to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the 1988 killing of Ofelia Sandoval. Prosecutors said the case finally came together after investigators used DNA evidence to identify him nearly four decades after the crime.

Sandoval, 30, was found strangled to death on Sept. 18, 1988, in Santa Maria. Authorities said the investigation went cold the following year despite an extensive early effort.

How the case broke open

Investigators said they first developed a DNA profile from evidence collected in Sandoval’s room in the early 2000s, but it did not match anyone in national databases. Evidence taken in 1988, including DNA found on a towel and shirt near her body, also failed to produce a hit when it was tested years later.

The turning point came when the FBI worked with Santa Maria police to obtain a covert DNA sample from James. Authorities later said DNA linked to him, including from a glove he discarded, matched the profile developed from the original evidence.

Sentencing and verdict

James was arrested in Georgia in April 2024 and later convicted in California in February of first-degree murder with a special circumstance finding that the killing happened during a rape. The judge then imposed the maximum sentence allowed under state law.

The FBI said the breakthrough showed how older evidence, paired with newer DNA methods, can still solve cases that had long gone unsolved.

Family hears long-awaited closure

Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch called the sentence “the culmination of almost 38 years of work” and said it offered Sandoval’s family some measure of closure. Prosecutors said four generations of her family stayed involved with the case over the years.

In court, Sandoval’s children described the lasting pain caused by her death. The district attorney’s office said the strength of her three children, Marcelino, Maricela and Alex, was remarkable.

Investigators seek more victims

Authorities said they believe there may be additional victims connected to James, including people who experienced threats, sexual assault, domestic abuse or other crimes. Investigators urged anyone with information to contact the Santa Maria Police Department.

James had denied having contact with Sandoval during the investigation and again after his arrest, according to the report. At trial, however, he acknowledged the two had sex, while his lawyer argued the DNA evidence did not prove he committed the murder.

TNSO covers California, Nevada, and Arizona as the story unfolds.