1 week Ago By Charlie Jones
A man has been sentenced to spend the next 38 years in prison after stabbing a driver 59 times with a kitchen knife over an argument about a small amount of money. Marvin Ernesto Funez-Martinez, 23, was found guilty over the killing of Marco Alexander Pulido-Castro, who was left in the fetal position in the trunk of a car. According to a statement from the Charles County State's Attorney's Office, police were called to a residence in White Plains, Maryland, in the early hours of October 29, 2023, following reports of an assault and stabbing.
Upon arrival, first responders found Pulido-Castro's lifeless body "in the fetal position" inside the trunk of a Nissan Sentra. He was declared dead at the scene. Investigators quickly discovered that Funez-Martinez had hired the victim to drive him and two others to a nightclub in Washington, DC.
After the night out, Pulido-Castro drove them back to White Plains. However, on the way home, the victim stopped at a gas station and asked Funez-Martinez for "requested additional money for gas". This request sparked a minor argument between the two men, which ended tragically when Funez-Martinez fatally stabbed Pulido-Castro.
Upon returning to Funez-Martinez's residence, Pulido-Castro's car began to overheat. He stayed outside to check on it while the others entered the house. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.
"Funez-Martinez, who was already carrying a pocketknife, went inside his residence and retrieved a larger knife from the kitchen," the release states. "The victim was checking under the hood of the vehicle when Funez-Martinez returned outside, and Funez-Martinez began stabbing the victim repeatedly. The victim tried to escape to a yard across the street, but Funez-Martinez followed him and continued to stab him.
Funez-Martinez ultimately stabbed the victim 59 times and knocked out multiple teeth. After the stabbing, Funez-Martinez dragged the victim to his vehicle and placed his body in the trunk." Following the brutal assault, Funez-Martinez escaped behind the house.
However, witness accounts led police to find him shortly after. Authorities noted that he had multiple cuts on his hands, which were also smeared with the victim's blood. He later admitted to the murder.
During the sentencing hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Constance Kopelman highlighted the minor disagreement that escalated into Pulido-Castro's death and the savagery of the attack. "The defendant was particularly violent, extraordinarily dangerous. He needs to be incarcerated for as long as possible.
He committed the most brutal murder I have ever seen. This was an awful way for Marco Alexander Pulido-Castro to die," she expressed. "The defendant killed the victim over a really small amount of money that he actually owed the victim.
[The victim] suffered. It was just cruel. It just doesn't get more cruel than what he did to Marco Alexander Pulido-Castro.
- He was brutally killed for working. He didn't get to enjoy his later years. He didn't deserve to take his last breath on Gateway Boulevard, face to the ground, being stabbed.
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