Kevin J. Augustiniak, one of the Hells Angels charged in the 2001 murder of Mesa resident Cynthia Garcia, was sentenced yesterday to 23.5 years in prison.
Augustiniak pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October, nearly eight years after his 2003 indictment.
Sentencing for second-degree murder is typically capped at 22 years, but a previous aggravated-assault conviction helped tack on a little extra, although he'll get some credit for his time served in county jail.
Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman Jerry Cobb tells New Times Augustiniak will get around six years credit for time served.
Augustiniak and another Hells Angel, Paul Eischeid, were partying with Garcia in the gang's Mesa clubhouse in October 2001 when some of the bikers thought she was being disrespectful.
According to court documents, Augustiniak and Eischeid -- and others, who weren't indicted on murder charges -- beat Garcia inside the clubhouse, "stomping on her head repeatedly" following her "criticism of Hells Angels."
Augustiniak and Eischeid then allegedly dragged Garcia's somewhat-conscious body to a car, threw her in the trunk, and drove into the desert.
The bikers then used a knife to slash at Garcia, "cutting her throat, stabbing her, and attempting to cut her head off," according to court records.
Eischeid was also indicted in 2003 for Garcia's murder, but skipped town during his pre-trial release.
Eischeid is a former stockbroker who had a "relatively clean" criminal record, and was released with electronic monitoring in 2003.
Of course, he booked it out of the country. Eventually, the U.S. Marshal's Service announced Argentina was his country of choice, after being captured by Argentinean authorities eight years later.
Eischeid's reportedly still being held in Argentina, waiting to be extradited back to Maricopa County.
Another man, Robert Eugene Tutokey, was sentenced in December to nine months in the federal Bureau of Prisons for helping Eischeid get a passport to get out of the country.
James King contributed to this post.
