A man responsible for the savage near-beheading death of the mother of his child with a Samurai sword was given 26 years to life in state prison, bringing an end to the trial of a crime that horrified not only those who witnessed it on the street, but the entire Bay Area and beyond. 

Jose Landaeta received 25 years to life for first degree murder, plus one year for use of a deadly weapon — a sword. He must also pay $20,000 in restitution and court fines, plus more restitution to the woman’s family in amounts to be determined, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe.  

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Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.