Big Sky Times

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today that Francisco Padilla Canales, an illegal immigrant in the United States, has been sentenced to 40 years in Montana State Prison for a homicide that occurred in July 2022. Canales pleaded guilty to mitigated deliberate homicide after inflicting multiple fatal stab wounds to a man he found in a relationship with his estranged wife.

"The victim succumbed to his injuries shortly after law enforcement arrived on the scene despite Canales attempting CPR after the attack," Knudsen stated.

Canales had initially faced charges of deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, tampering with witnesses and information, and aggravated burglary. It was revealed that he had tracked his estranged wife using a GPS device, leading him to discover her relationship with the victim. Canales then attacked the pair, resulting in the victim's tragic death.

Assistant Attorney General Jordan P. Salo prosecuted the case, with the investigation being carried out by the Bozeman Police Department.

Canales, who is currently detained on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold, will be eligible for parole after 10 years. However, if paroled, he will be handed over to ICE custody, likely deported, and prohibited from obtaining legal immigration status in the United States in the future.