What happened: Mario Juan Chacon Jr. pleaded guilty Feb. 20 in the 142nd District Court to the 2023 murder of 20-year-old Madeline Pantoja and to tampering with evidence, according to a press release from the Midland County District Attorney’s Office. Under a plea agreement, the judge sentenced Chacon to 35 years in prison for murder and 20 years for tampering with evidence, to run concurrently.

Chacon will be eligible for parole after serving half of the 35-year sentence. Prosecutors said he faced a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison for murder and up to 20 years for tampering with evidence. The plea brings legal resolution to a case that drew significant attention in Midland and marks the end of nearly three years of court proceedings.

The big picture: Friends and family reported Pantoja missing on May 11, 2023. Law enforcement recovered her remains in south Midland County on May 20, 2023. Prosecutors said Chacon and Pantoja had been in a relationship that she had recently ended. Investigators began the case after welfare checks at Pantoja’s apartment revealed signs of a struggle, which led to Chacon’s arrest.

Chacon previously received deferred adjudication probation for a felony drug offense. Court records show a prior misdemeanor conviction for deadly conduct and two misdemeanor convictions for possession of marijuana.

Midland Police Department detectives, Texas Rangers, and investigators from the Midland County District Attorney’s Office handled the investigation. Assistant District Attorneys Bill Prasher and Steven Lively prosecuted the case.