On February 17, 2005, Michael Paul Andrade, a university student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, was tragically murdered in his off-campus apartment in San Antonio, Texas. The first responders discovered his body after extinguishing a fire in his apartment, where he had been strangled and slightly burned. Key evidence led investigators to Maria Solis' apartment, where they found evidence implicating her roommate and boyfriend, Joe Luna, in the crime. Luna, with a criminal history including home invasions, was arrested and charged with Michael's murder. During his trial in March 2006, Luna initially claimed innocence but later confessed and requested the death penalty after seeing the forensic evidence against him. He was sentenced to death on April 26, 2006.