HUDSON, N.C. — A Hudson man was sentenced to serve more than two decades in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder, according to the Catawba County District Attorney’s Office.
Nathan Vasquez, 25, was given an active prison sentence of 20 to 25 years following his no contest plea for the March 28th, 2015 beating death of 34-year-old Marcus Devlin at his apartment.
Nathan Vasquez
Vasquez entered the plea less than 24 hours before his case was set for trial, according to a news release.
Devlin’s mother remembered him as a loving brother and son before Vasquez offered an apology to the victim’s family prior to his sentencing, according to a news release.
Investigation of the murder by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office showed that Vasquez beat Devlin to death with a metal car jack handle when he discovered that his former girlfriend was involved in a relationship with him, according to a news release.
On the night prior to the offense, Vasquez repeatedly texted and called his ex-girlfriend while searching for her in Caldwell and Catawba Counties before finding her car parked at Devlin’s residence.
The woman told investigators she went to the apartment door and opened it slightly when she heard the defendant pull up in his vehicle outside the apartment. Vasquez reportedly pushed his way inside while swinging the jack. He is accused of hitting Devlin and continued to repeatedly strike the victim after he was slumped on the floor, according to a news release.
The autopsy report showed that the victim died as a result of blunt force trauma to multiple locations on the body.
