An Odessa man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday afternoon after being convicted of murder in the February 2021 death of a 38-year-old co-worker.
It took a jury in the 161st District Court of Ector County three hours to convict Clinton Saunders, 37, of murder in the death of Mario Castillo and 40 minutes to render its sentence.
According to authorities, Saunders and Castillo worked together at Love’s Truck Stop and the evening before the shooting the two decided to go to the Red Zone bar after having spent some time working on Castillo’s shed and car together.
The two men argued at the bar and the fight escalated on the way back to Castillo’s home, where Saunders had left his vehicle. Castillo was shot seven times, including twice in the heart, outside his residence in the 1000 block of East 90th Street.
Defense attorney Scott Layh told jurors during closing arguments Castillo “pummeled” Saunders for seven minutes and Saunders feared for his life when he shot Castillo, who was known to own guns and carry a knife.
Jurors were shown a surveillance video that shows Castillo picking up a hat on the passenger side of Saunder’s vehicle and walking out of view toward the driver’s side of the vehicle. Seven shots ring out several seconds later and then Saunders is seen picking his eye glasses off the ground near where the hat was and driving away from the scene, Castillo’s body crumpled on the ground.
Assistant Ector County District Attorney Henry Eckels told jurors during closing arguments the fight was over when Castillo was shot to death and suggested he’d approached Saunders with Saunders’ hat as a “peace offering.”
Saunders could have just driven away, he said.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this was not a self-defense case, this was an execution,” he said.
Layh reminded jurors that during the trial they heard testimony that Castillo was feared by his co-workers. He was charged with assaulting one of his co-workers in 2016 and entered into pretrial intervention program as a result.
After being beaten by Castillo, his client looked like Rocky or Apollo Creed from the movies, Layh said. Knowing he’d had a knife on him earlier at the bar and knowing he owned guns Saunders felt his life was in danger, he said.
“The fight was over? Come on! It was a peace offering? Come on!” Layh said. “Who in their right mind is going to believe that (Castillo) was going to be a nice guy now?”
Castillo was still moving after being shot the first time and he could just as easily have fired at Saunders from the ground as while he was standing, Layh said.
“He acted to save his life,” Layh said of his client.
Assistant Ector County Attorney Scott Turner told jurors the version of events Saunders gave them from the stand was not to be believed. He never told 911 dispatchers he thought Castillo was armed, nor did he ever tell police he knew about the earlier incidents involving Castillo.
He suggested Saunders added “spice to the stew” after a year of having time to consider his story.
“He wants you to believe the parts that help him and not the parts that don’t,” Turner said.
During closing arguments in the sentencing portion of the trial, Layh asked the jury to show “mercy and grace” to his client, saying Saunders is a good man who tried to help people his entire life, including Castillo.
Layh asked the jury to find that Saunders was overcome by “sudden passion” and was therefore incapable of reflecting upon his actions. Murder defendants who are overcome by sudden passion are eligible for a prison sentence of 2-20 years rather than the typical sentence of 5-99 years or life in prison.
The defense attorney told the jury he thought a two-year sentence was appropriate.
Saunders told Castillo’s family and the jury he wanted to apologize, calling it an “unfortunate situation I wish I could have avoided.”
Turner told the jurors he wasn’t going to recommend a sentence, but said a two-year sentence would be a “slap in the face.” He said the murder may have been the result of passion, but it wasn’t sudden.
Unlike Saunders, the Castillo family will never have a chance at parole, Turner pointed out.
Turner also expressed outrage at Saunder’s attempt at an apology.
“It didn’t just happen. He made it happen. He did it to Mario,” Turner said.
As for mercy, Turner told the jurors that all of the mercy Saunders showed Castillo was shown on the video.
The victim’s father, Mario Castillo Sr., told Saunders he didn’t think 10 years was a long enough sentence and expressed his hope that his actions will haunt him the rest of his life.
Not only did Saunders steal his son from him, but he stole his piece of mind, Castillo Sr. said.
“There’s not a single day I don’t think of him and the way he died,” he said.
Denise Delgado, the victim’s sister, told Saunders he robbed her brother’s future from him, but he also robbed their entire family. Her brother left behind a wife, parents and four sisters.
She said she hopes Saunders has been robbed of his peace and happiness, too.
