A man faces two decades in state prison after being found guilty in a Cape Coral homicide.

On Tuesday, Eduardo Troche-Rodriguez, 32, was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 21 years in prison with a 20-year minimum/mandatory, followed by five years of probation for second degree murder with a firearm, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Troche-Rodriguez was first taken into custody in March of 2023 in Lexington, Kentucky, and charged with second degree murder in connection to the death of 41-year-old Fernando Batista Montero in June of 2022.

Troche-Rodriguez and Jose Alberdi Maldonado, shot and killed Montero when the three were at a Cape Coral home and an argument ensued just before 4:30 a.m. on June 4 of ’22.

After the argument, Montero decided to leave and got in his SUV. State Attorney’s Office officials said he backed out of the driveway of his home at 1807 S.W. 10th Terrace and waited in the street, and that’s when Troche-Rodriguez and Maldonado grabbed their firearms and began shooting. He has shot multiple times.

After the murder, Troche-Rodriguez and Maldonado fled to Kentucky. The Cape Coral Police Department investigated the crime, leading to the identification of the pair.

Maldonado was arrested weeks later in Florida. Troche-Rodriguez was arrested in Kentucky and extradited to Lee County.

In 2023, CCPD officials said by “fortune” there was a break in the case, as they received intel on Troche-Rodriguez’ whereabouts in the Lexington area.

The investigation leading to learning the identity of Troche-Rodriguez involved award-winning forensic technology. CPPD said contacts pertaining to the phone number used by Troche-Rodriguez revealed that he was in frequent contact with a female identified by a first name. According to officials, a search through law enforcement databases revealed that woman’s maiden name that was used to investigate further. Then examination of the woman’s social media account led to the discovery that her brother was social media friends with an individual displaying a profile name of the second suspect’s name. A photograph associated with this social media account strongly resembled the description provided by witnesses of the homicide.

Officials said while processing evidence seized from inside the vehicle abandoned by Maldonado, a Western Union money order was located (which belonged to the victim) and was subsequently processed by detectives, who lifted a print belonging to the second suspect.

Detective Stephen Cragin was named Cape Coral Police Department’s Officer/Detective of the year for his forensic work on the case.

In April 2023, Maldonado, 24, was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation for second degree murder with a firearm and robbery — possessing a firearm, for his role in the crime.