LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. – A 53-year-old man from Cincinnati has been sentenced for his role in the death of a man found decapitated in Lenawee County in 1997.
Richardo Sepulveda and his brother were arrested in 2023 by the United States Marshals Service. He was convicted of multiple felonies in April 2025, including first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
His brother, Michael Sepulveda, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in August 2024 and was sentenced in May to 10 to 30 years behind bars.
On Friday, June 20, Richardo Sepulveda was sentenced to life behind bars for the murder.
The victim’s body was discovered by a farmer in their Blissfield Township cornfield on Nov. 19, 1997. The cornfield is located west of Corey Highway and north of Carroll Highway. Authorities said the body was naked, had been decapitated and had his hands cut off from above the wrist.
Police believed the man’s death was connected to international drug trafficking.
While the body hasn’t been identified, police believe he was a 32-year-old man from Texas.