Alberto Rafael Ferrer Cabrera, a 27-year-old man from Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in prison last week for the murder of his 81-year-old common-law husband, Donald Atha Weynandt. The heinous crime took place in San Antonio on February 1, 2025.
The Crime
Cabrera, who was 26 at the time, slashed Weynandt’s throat in a brutal act of violence. Around 5 a.m. that morning, Cabrera confessed to a 911 dispatcher that he had stabbed and killed Weynandt. Law enforcement arrived at the scene shortly after, where they pronounced the elderly man dead.
Despite Cabrera’s confession, the motive behind the attack remains unclear. However, reports suggest that Cabrera was under significant stress at the time, particularly concerning bringing his 4-year-old son from Colombia to the United States, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Legal Proceedings
Cabrera was sentenced by Bexar County Judge Kristina Escalona on Friday, where he received the 40-year sentence for murder. In addition to the murder charges, Cabrera was initially placed under a detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for illegal entry from Colombia.
However, the immigration charge no longer appears in his online court records.
Impact on Weynandt’s Family
Katrina Mercado, Weynandt’s daughter, expressed her disbelief over the crime, stating that she had never spoken to Cabrera and “personally did not trust the situation.”
She described the emotional difficulty of processing the tragedy: “It’s hard to believe. I think the questions will forever be developing over time, processing what happened.”
Mercado added that she wished for her father to be remembered as a “loving father” and emphasized that Weynandt “deserved to live out his life in safety and dignity.”
Statement from the District Attorney
District Attorney Joe Gonzales expressed his commitment to holding those who commit acts of violence accountable: “Mr. Weynandt deserved to live out his life in safety and dignity. Our office remains committed to holding those who commit acts of violence fully accountable.”
