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A California man has been sentenced for the murder of his fiancée whose dismembered remains were found in a trash bag.
According to PEOPLE, 43-year-old Joseph Roberts was sentenced to 15 years to life in connection to the killing of Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner, 27. Roberts was also ordered to pay $19, 818 in restitution.
Roberts' sentencing comes after the Alameda Police Department responded to a suspicious circumstance report on July 20, 2023, which led to the discovery of a dismembered body, later identified as Buckner, in a black garbage bag along a trail on Bay Farm Island.
Police connected Roberts to the crime through DNA evidence found on a piece of duct tape used to seal the trash bag.
According to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, Roberts and Buckner initially met at Golden Gate University Law School in 2019. The two reportedly lived in an apartment together and were engaged at the time of Bucker's murder.
"Police records show Pleasanton police officers were called to the apartment for multiple welfare checks and domestic violence calls. Although Ms. Buckner was living with Mr. Roberts at the time of her disappearance, the evidence shows that he never reported that she was missing," the DA's office said in a statement.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to raise money for funeral expenses.
"While we hope this sentence will provide a sense of closure, no punishment will ever undo what Joseph Roberts did to Rachel and the lasting impact it will have on her family," District Attorney Pamela Y. Price said in a statement following Roberts' sentencing. "Words are inadequate to describe what Rachel Imani Buckner’s family must be feeling in this moment after their loved one was tragically taken from them in such an unthinkable way."
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