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FARMINGTON — A West Valley City man was sentenced to prison Monday for stabbing a woman to death and pushing her out of a moving car and onto I-15 in 2020.
Oscar Cuevas-Landa, 20, was ordered to serve a term of 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty in September to murder, a first-degree felony, in the stabbing death of Shilo Marie Stewart, 34, of Fruit Heights.
Stewart was giving Cuevas-Landa a ride when he thought she "looked at him wrong" prompting him to stab her multiple times with a knife, according to charging documents. He then unbuckled her seat belt and pushed her out of the car while driving on the freeway near Farmington. An autopsy indicated Stewart died from a combination of the stab wounds and blunt force trauma after she was pushed out of the moving car.
On Monday, a handful of Stewart's family members spoke during Cuevas-Landa's sentencing, which took place via video conference.
Stewart was called a loving, caring woman who was an important part of their family. One family member said it broke her heart to know that Stewart was murdered while trying to help someone.
"I don't know what else to say other than I miss my daughter terribly," said Stewart's mother, Karen Surles.
Multiple family members asked the judge to give Cuevas-Landa the maximum possible punishment, with one pointing to his lack of remorse as reason for a lengthy prison term. After he had pleaded guilty to murder, court records show Cuevas-Landa filed a motion to delay his sentencing and potentially withdraw his guilty plea on the basis of a self-defense argument. However, Cuevas-Landa later abandoned that effort and the court went ahead with sentencing.
The lack of remorse was also mentioned by prosecutor Nathan Lyon, who said it was disappointing and troubling to hear there was no expression of apology during a pre-sentence investigation.
Second District Judge Michael Edwards later sentenced Cuevas-Landa to the minimum 15-year prison term, noting it was the only sentencing option in accordance with state guidelines. Edwards said that while the case may be ending on paper, he wishes he could do more to bring closure to the suffering brought on by Stewart's murder. The judge said that while Cuevas-Landa has a history of mental health issues, he believes the case did not rise to the level of a self-defense claim.
"The court cannot excuse the cruel taking of a life," Edwards said.
He said the total amount of prison time will ultimately be a decision made by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. He also said that agency will decide if Cuevas-Landa will be given credit for the time he's served in jail, which as of Monday was 514 days.
