Select by gender or name

Murder of Jack Ray Tenhulzen

Esteysi Sanchez drove home on the morning of July 27th, 2016, after spending the night drinking.

She swerved to the sidewalk and hit 69-year-old Jack Ray Tenhulzen. The impact was so fierce he was stripped of his clothing, went through the windshield, and landed in the passenger seat.

One of his legs was severed, and he ended up flying through the vehicle’s back window and landing on the car trunk.

Sanchez drove a mile before abandoning the vehicle in a cul-de-sac. She called her boyfriend and walked home a block away. Once there, she changed clothes.

Meanwhile, Tenhulzen bled to death.

Sanchez’s boyfriend contacted authorities, and she was arrested. Police learned she had a beer and at least five other alcoholic drinks in the hours before the crash.
Her blood alcohol level was measured to be .18 to .19 two hours after the crash.

At her 2018 trial, the jury learned she was with a friend who warned her she was too impaired to drive, but she didn’t listen.

Her defense team implied that alcohol wasn’t a factor and instead claimed she was tired and fell asleep.

Her defense didn’t resonate with the jury, and she was convicted of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, and hit and run.

She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Her first parole hearing will be February 11th, 2026.