International manhunt followed Idaho woman’s 2015 shooting death. Now there’s a guilty plea

Sally Krutzig
·1 min read

Nearly eight years after 39-year-old Amparo Godinez Sanchez was killed in front of her two children in her home near Wilder, her then-partner has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Erasmo Diaz, 58, entered the plea Monday during an appearance in Canyon County court.

The case that involved an international manhunt began the day after Godinez Sanchez’s killing on June 11, 2015. Despite law enforcement issuing an arrest warrant the next day, Diaz was able to escape to Mexico and stay on the run there for six years.

A grand jury indicted him in May 2016 on multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder. Diaz was arrested in June 2021 in Mexico and extradited to the U.S. with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service in November 2021.

Diaz initially pleaded not guilty in December 2021. He has been in jail in Canyon County on a $5 million bond since then.

During a 2016 interview with the Statesman, the victim’s children described their mother as the heart of their family, a caring woman who was always willing to help others. Since the killing, daughters Laura and Judy Diaz have become advocates for survivors of domestic abuse.

“Although the sentencing of Mr. Diaz will not take place until May, it is my sincere hope that today’s proceedings mark a significant step forward in the healing process of those most closely affected by this heinous crime,” Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in a news release.

Diaz’s sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 4 in Canyon County. Second-degree murder carries a penalty of up to life in prison, with a 10-year sentence being the minimum.

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