A Broward County jury on Monday found a Hallandale Beach man guilty of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his partner with a spear during an argument in their condo bedroom.
Jurors deliberated just over 90 minutes before convicting Adam Crespo, 49, in the 2019 death of 32-year-old Silvia Galva.
According to prosecutors, Crespo stabbed Galva with a spear that served as a bedpost after a heated confrontation. During the course of the trial, prosecutors displayed the five-foot spear with a 12-inch double-sided blade, calling it the weapon that ended Galva's life.
Prosecutors played a cellphone footage recorded in the moments leading up to the fatal stabbing, capturing a tense exchange between the couple. In the video, Crespo repeatedly tells Galva to leave. When she refuses, he says, "I can shoot you." Galva responds, "So shoot me."
Crespo Told Investigators Galva Impaled Herself After Spear Snapped in Half During Struggle
Crespo told police the stabbing was accidental. He said he was pulling Galva by the ankles off the bed when she grabbed one of the ornamental spears at its footboard.
According to the arrest report, Crespo said the spear broke in half, pierced her chest and he pulled the blade out "hoping it was not too bad." The defense argued Galva's death was the result of a struggle, not an intentional act.
Prosecutors, however, said the case showed a pattern of volatility and ended with an act of deadly force. Crespo had been free on bond. He is now in jail awaiting sentencing set for October 31st. He faces anywhere from 20 years to life in prison.
