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Raymond Lydell Speller, 40, of Lancaster, was sentenced for killing Pedro Almodovar, 36, on Friday by Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright according to the release.
Almodovar was killed while sitting in a parked red SUV in the 300 block of Howard Avenue on Sept. 23, 2019, as Lancaster Bureau of police reported at the time.
Speller’s friend walked past the vehicle, said “what’s up” and walked to a home on the avenue only exit moments later, which is when Speller approached the vehicle and shot Almodovar in the torso, surveillance footage showed police, according to the release by the DA.
Police discovered Speller was the shooter when they arrived at the homicide and smelled smoke coming from a nearby residence and discovered he was burning a license plate, according to the release.
Speller was found guilty by jury on May 28, according to the DA.
Before the sentence was handed out Almodovar’s sister read a statement to the court reading in part, “I have an emptiness that will never be filled and my brother will never be replaced,” she said while saying the family was doing its best to forgive Speller. “We have two losses here: my brother and his.”
Speller's official sentence is life in prison plus 7 ½ to 20 years after being convicted by a jury of first-degree homicide, person not to possess a firearm and possessing a firearm without a license, according to the release and court documents.
Speller had prior felony convictions and had been released from federal prison in 2018, the DA says.
“This was a senseless killing,” Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa stated to the judge after reading the facts of the case. “After the killing he just walked away. He didn’t show a shred of remorse after killing another human.”
“Our community will be a little bit safer,” Judge Wright said after reading his sentence to the court and before addressing the victim’s family. “I wish you the best recovery you can possibly have from this,” he said according to the DA.
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