HILLSBORO, Ore. (January 13, 2023) — Jose Rodolfo Torres-Amaro, age 34, pleaded guilty to the sole count of Murder in the Second-Degree yesterday, January 12, 2023. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Deputy District Attorney Katherine Miller prosecuted the case before Judge Eric Butterfield.  Torres-Amaro’s trial had been set to begin January 24, 2023.

On September 11, 2021, the defendant stabbed and killed the victim, his wife, Sonia Bahena, at their apartment complex in Cornelius, Oregon, in front of two of their four children.

The victim contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s non-emergency dispatch line at 12:45 a.m., September 11, 2021, out of fear for Torres-Amaro’s violent behavior during a verbal argument in which the defendant believed the victim was having an affair. While on the call with dispatch, Torres-Amaro attacked Bahena with a kitchen knife. The victim was stabbed over 20 times before a cut to a jugular vein in her neck caused her death. Torres-Amaro attempted to take his own life by stabbing his throat at the scene and was rushed to Legacy Emanual Medical Center in Portland, Oregon by local authorities.

Torres-Amaro faces a statutory sentence of life in prison with a minimum of 25 years before consideration for parole, with lifetime supervision if granted.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaverton Police Department and the Cornelius Police Department, Forest Grove Police Department. This office also commends the courage of the victim’s children, witnesses and law enforcement officials who aided in this investigation.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.