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Tina Sandoval's disappearance became the talk of the town in 1995, especially since there was no trace of her despite both cops and acquaintances vaguely knowing who was behind the disappearance. Years after she was legally declared dead, her husband, John Sandoval, was prosecuted for the murder, but decades had passed between this.
This case is set to be the subject of Dateline: Unforgettable season 3, episode 4, which will premiere on February 8, 2024, at 8 pm EST. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"When Tina Sandoval disappears, her parents and loved ones spend years searching for her; Dennis Murphy takes a fresh look at the secret Tina kept and at the demon who forced her loved ones to make an agonizing decision."
Ahead of the episode, here are five chilling details about Tina Sandoval's brutal murder.
Five horrific facts about Tina Sandoval's murder
1) Tina Sandoval was already fearing for her life when she went to meet John Sandoval to finalize her divorce
After their marriage got off to a rocky start, following some shocking discoveries by Tina, she filed for divorce. On October 19, 1995, Tina was supposed to meet John at his home to sign some papers and finalize their divorce. But fearing John, she had asked her sister, Susan, to come along.
Unfortunately, Susan could not come that day, and Tina disappeared once and for all. Authorities and Tina's loved ones already knew who was behind the disappearance.
2) Despite strong suspicion, authorities could not prosecute John due to a lack of evidence
John pulled off a near-perfect murder, leaving no physical evidence behind and hiding the body perfectly. Even though John was a prime suspect from the start, the DA did not press charges in 1995 because there was no physical evidence or dead body linking him to the crime.
3) John Sandoval was prosecuted in June 2009, nearly 14 years after Tina's death
After Sandoval was initially allowed to walk free and the case went cold, a new DA in 2009 decided to reopen it. Though no new evidence was discovered by the time, John was still prosecuted. He pleaded not guilty, but the jury convicted him of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
4) John Sandoval's first trial was overturned in 2016, but he was sent to prison again
Years after the verdict of Sandoval's trial in 2010, it was overturned in 2016. Before the new trial, John Sandoval was offered a plea deal to disclose the location of the body in exchange for a reduced sentence. He ultimately disclosed it, and he was sentenced to prison for 25 years for the charge of second-degree murder.
5) John buried Tina's body very meticulously, leaving almost no trace
After John accepted the plea deal, he disclosed that he had buried Tina at the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery. On the day of the murder, John Sandoval went to the gravesite and dug a hole behind a World War II veteran who was getting buried on the same day. Tina’s body was found wrapped in layers of industrial-grade plastic, indicating meticulous planning from before.
Tina Sandoval's murder will be covered in detail in the upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable.
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