Man sentenced in connection with gay Phoenix man's murder: MCAO
AZ man sentenced to prison over murder case
Officials announced on March 14 that Manuel Carrasco Calderon will serve time in prison in connection the murder of Bernardo Pantaleon in 2023. Carrasco Calderon was not charged with murder in connection with Pantaleon's death, but he was charged with assisting a criminal street gang and crimes against the dead.
PHOENIX - Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say a man has been sentenced in connection with the murder of a gay Phoenix man back in 2023.
What we know:
Per a statement released on March 14, officials said Manuel Carrasco Calderon was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, followed by a four-year supervised probation sentence.
Officials said Carrasco Calderon, 22, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to felony charges of assisting a criminal street gang and crimes against the dead.
Court documents reveal brutal details
(WARNING: This section contains subject matter and details that some may find disturbing. As such, discretion is advised)
According to one of our previous reports on the matter, the incident happened on Nov. 26, 2023.
The backstory:
Court documents state the victim, who has been identified as 30-year-old Bernardo Pantaleon, was found dead near a park in the area of 7th Avenue and Cinnabar in Phoenix.
Investigators said Pantaleon was found partially obscured behind or underneath a small tree, and appeared to have been shot multiple times.
"[The victim's] body was mutilated, postmortem, with a sharp-edged object," read a portion of the court documents.
Court documents state that Pantaleon's family members received two photographs via a social media site, one of which showed a person flipping their middle finger, and the other showing the victim's mutilated body.
What's next:
Per officials with MCAO, two other suspects are still in custody.
Leonardo Santiago (left) and Jose David Rodriguez Soriano (right)
The two, identified as Leonardo Santiago and Jose David Rodriguez Soriano, are facing multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.