What did Angela Sanford do? Details explored ahead of Snapped on Oxygen

Angela Sanford is a name that became synonymous with a shocking murder case that went down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, back in March 2010. Sanford, who describes herself as a Wiccan, was charged with murder when she killed the man whom she had invited to participate in a Wiccan celebration.

The details of the case indicate a very complex narrative with self-defense claims, ritualistic practices, and many contradictions when Sanford made her explanations concerning the circumstances that led to Leyva's death.

She is likely serving time in a facility in New Mexico, but the information regarding the specific prison location is unavailable. The case of Angela Sanford appears on episode 5 of Snapped season 35, which is airing on Oxygen on February 2, 2025. Here's the official synopsis of the episode:

"When a woman survives an alleged assault in the New Mexico desert and her purported attacker is found stabbed to death, investigators must get to the bottom of a bizarre murder plot driven by one suspect's obsession with the occult."

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The incident by Angela Sanford

According to CBS News, on March 24, 2010, Angela Sanford, who was 30 years old, invited Joel Leyva, aged 52, to her to enjoy some Beltane festivities. Beltane is a Wiccan holiday used to greet spring. According to the police complaint, Sanford took Leyva to an isolated area near the hiking trail down the Sandia Mountains.

There, she stabbed him 13 times with a ceremonial dagger. The coroner's report revealed that Leyva had received multiple stab wounds to both his head and torso. According to CBS News, Angela Sanford's version of the events stated that she was attacked by Leyva, who allegedly tied her up and threatened her with the dagger.

She said she pretended to be interested in him to gain his trust and free herself from the ropes. After she had successfully removed the dagger from him, she said that she stabbed him three times and ran away.

However, the witnesses denied her report as they stated that they saw Sanford approaching them nude and alleged that she had been r*ped. According to CBS News, they could not hear any yelling for help or other signs of fighting during that night.

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Judicial proceedings

According to ABC News, after the occurrence, Sanford was arrested and taken to court, where she was charged with murder. She pleaded not guilty and was held on a $500,000 bond. The case was that her actions were premeditated rather than an act of self-defense, as she insisted. The witnesses and forensic evidence did not go along with her story.

According to CBS News, during the trial, the credibility of Sanford's claims on the Wiccan celebration began to be called into question. According to a local Wiccan practitioner named Linda Owl, Beltane is celebrated at the end of April or the beginning of May, casting a shadow over Sanford's claim.

According to CBS News, police also discovered Sanford's clothes neatly folded next to Leyva's body, contrary to her claim that she had been attacked. Ultimately, Angela Sanford was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2011, as per The Christian Post.

The case received heavy media attention as it was unique and sensational for its time regarding Wicca and ritualistic practices.

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Current status of Angela Sanford

According to News 13, Angela Sanford remains incarcerated for Joel Leyva's murder. However, reports suggest she has appealed the conviction with hopes of an earlier release from prison.

The case is also still featured in discussions relating to violence surrounding alternative spiritual practice and has spurred further debate into how such practices are viewed in society.

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Watch Snapped Season 35 Episode 5 on Oxygen on February 2, 2025, for more details on this case.