Victor Acuna murder of Laura Aceves

Before Laura Aceves was killed, she had obtained multiple orders of protection against her ex-boyfriend, Victor Acuna-Sanchez. Court records show authorities arrested Acuna-Sanchez several times for violating those orders, including arrests in November 2012 and again weeks before her death. Each time, he was released.

On December 31, 2012, Acuna-Sanchez shot Aceves in the head inside her home in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Aceves was 21 years old. First responders found her lying in a pool of blood. She was transported to Mercy Hospital in Rogers, where doctors pronounced her dead. The couple’s 5-month-old child was found nearby and unharmed.

Investigators quickly identified Acuna-Sanchez, then 18, as the primary suspect. Deputies located him shortly after the shooting inside the home, where they found him hiding in a shower with a .22-caliber handgun on the floor nearby.

At that time, investigators did not yet have forensic confirmation linking the firearm to the fatal bullet. Authorities arrested Acuna-Sanchez on criminal mischief and held him in custody while awaiting ballistics testing. The handgun was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine whether it fired the bullet recovered from Aceves’ head.

Ballistics results returned in January 2013, allowing investigators to formally arrest Acuna-Sanchez on suspicion of capital murder. On January 16, 2013, a judge denied bond, citing concerns he might flee if released.

In 2014, Acuna-Sanchez admitted to killing Aceves and entered a negotiated guilty plea to first-degree murder. The court sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Under Arkansas law, he must serve at least 70 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Acuna-Sanchez entered the Arkansas prison system on October 6, 2014, and is currently housed at the Tucker Unit. His projected release date is July 1, 2030.

Correctional records show multiple disciplinary violations, several involving violence, since his incarceration.