Where is Candie Dominguez now? Details about Netflix's I Am a Killer subject, explored

Candie Dominguez is currently serving time in prison after she was found guilty of being involved in the murder of her cousin, Jose Luis Menchaca. This is one of the most talked-about cases on the Netflix documentary series I Am a Killer. The documentary takes the audience through the lives of convicted murderers and the circumstances under which they committed their crimes.

The episode of I Am a Killer featuring Candie Dominguez is titled, A Mother’s Choice, and the official synopsis reads:

"Candie Dominguez: This Texan woman went on trial back in 2018 for the murder of her cousin in 2014, which she committed with her boyfriend. She lured her cousin to her home, serving as revenge after a drug deal gone bad. Reports detail how she “cut up the body of her cousin after her boyfriend allegedly killed him.”

The episode airs on January 8, 2025, and uncovers the motivations and backgrounds of these convicts to give a viewer an outlook on the reasons behind their crimes.

Candie Dominguez was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019. She remains incarcerated at William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, and will be up for parole in October 2029.

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What did Candie Dominguez do?

The crime happened on September 30, 2014. Candie Dominguez had tricked her cousin, Jose Luis Menchaca, to come to her place in San Antonio, Texas. According to KSAT.com, the attack, her lawyers alleged, was motivated by her boyfriend, Daniel Moreno Lopez, as a payback against Menchaca, who had stabbed Lopez during a drug deal gone sour.

Upon arriving at Dominguez's home, Lopez along with another accomplice viciously bashed Menchaca to death using baseball bats. The attack, according to Dominguez, was something she saw happening but did nothing to intervene.

Dominguez confessed to the crime by telling the court after the murder that she had cut up Menchaca's body. According to KSAT.com, she described how she cut it up into pieces according to orders from Lopez for the disposal of the remains.

“I cut it up in pieces,” Dominguez said

She also burned parts of the body on a barbecue grill in her backyard after cutting it up.

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Litigation

Candie Dominguez was charged with serious crimes in connection with the murder and initially pleaded not guilty. According to KSAT.com, she later entered a plea bargain that allowed her to testify against Lopez and another suspect, Gabriel Moreno. For her cooperation, Dominguez received a maximum sentence of 30 years instead of life imprisonment.

During the trial process, it was revealed that the murder involved Dominguez as an active participant. Her testimony helped to clarify exactly what transpired before Menchaca's death and the reaction afterward. Lopez was sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction in the murder case, though Moreno was tried separately and acquitted.

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Sentence and aftermath

In February 2019, Candie Dominguez was formally sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the murder and dismemberment of Jose Luis Menchaca. According to KSAT.com, the case shed light on the important issues concerning domestic violence and criminal accountability in personal relationships.

The gruesome nature of the crime stunned the community and called for a debate about how a person could get into such a violent act. This case has been documented in I Am a Killer, showing viewers her life before and after committing the crime.

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For more details about the case, watch the I Am a Killer episode titled, A Mother's Choice on Netflix