A man previously convicted of a 1993 murder at a Lynwood motel was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in state prison.
Anthony Winston, 66, was convicted in what Superior Court Judge David Herriford called a “very vicious attack with a blunt instrument” on 29-year-old Barnetta Burrell Navarro, leaving her dead at the Curve Motel.
He was convicted of second-degree murder on Nov. 13 for killing her and then hiding her body, according to a court document.
Navarro’s decomposing body, which was naked from the waist down, was found April 5, 1993, in a space between the supports under the bed frame of the motel room, prosecutors said. The discovery was made after a motel guest complained about an odor in the room. room.
Navarro’s husband said he last saw her on April 1, 1993, when he dropped her off a few blocks from the motel, according to court papers.
Prosecutors still could not determine a motive for the killing. Winston was linked to the incident through DNA testing, prosecutors said.
When initially questioned by detectives, Winston said he did not know Navarro. In a later interview, he told them that she let him have sex with her, but then he left the room. He claimed to have learned of her death at a later date, according to court documents.
Winston was arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies in December 2023 for the murder. He has been behind bars ever since. He was also convicted in 1995 of making criminal threats.
