A man accused of beheading his ex-girlfriend with a samurai sword in San Carlos did not attend his own murder trial on Tuesday morning for opening statements. Jose “Rafa” Solano Landaeta, 34, of Hayward, is charged with murdering Karina Castro, with whom he had a baby. According to a defense attorney, their relationship had become “toxic.” The judge stated that it was Landaeta’s choice whether or not to attend the trial. Three witnesses claimed to have seen Landaeta behead Castro and nearly sever her arm on September 8, 2022. Landaeta changed his plea from “not guilty by reason of insanity” to “not guilty” just days before the trial began. The defense argued that Landaeta killed Castro out of fear that she was sending gang members to harm him and his family.
Landaeta Declines Presence at Personal Murder Trial
