FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – A Broward County jury found a Florida man guilty of second-degree murder Monday in the 2019 death of his girlfriend, who was fatally struck in the chest by a spear that had decorated their bedroom.
Adam Crespo, 49, now faces sentencing next month after jurors deliberated for less than two hours before rejecting his claims that his girlfriend’s death was accidental. The victim, Silvia Galva, 32, sustained a fatal wound at the couple’s home in July 2019 in what Crespo said was a tragic mishap during a heated argument.
Authorities responded to the couple’s residence on July 12, 2019, and discovered Galva on the bedroom floor with a significant chest wound. Despite efforts by first responders to save her, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined she had been impaled by a 12-inch spear that, until that night, had served as a bedpost ornament.
Crespo told investigators that he and Galva had been arguing on their bed when he attempted to pull her by the ankles. He claimed that Galva grabbed hold of the decorative spear to resist, and that while he faced away, he heard a sudden snap. Turning back, Crespo said he saw the blade embedded in Galva’s chest and immediately tried to help her, calling for a neighbor to contact emergency services while he applied pressure to the wound.
Police reports described how the bedsheets were pierced by the blade, which traveled completely through Galva’s body. Officers also recovered the broken spear from the scene, bolstering the details provided in Crespo’s account.
During the trial, Crespo’s defense presented a retired medical examiner as their sole witness, who argued that the precise manner of Galva’s death was indeterminate. The defense maintained there was no physical evidence directly connecting Crespo to the act of murder and insisted the incident was a tragic accident with no intent to harm.
However, prosecutors built their case on the physical evidence and testimony from a forensic pathologist, who told jurors the trajectory and force required to inflict such a wound indicated homicide, not accidental death. The state argued that Crespo’s actions during the dispute demonstrated malice and intent, suggesting that heated emotions escalated to lethal violence.
Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors repeatedly challenged the plausibility of Crespo’s explanations, asserting that no reasonable scenario existed in which the death occurred by accident. They argued that Crespo harbored ill will toward Galva during the incident, which ultimately resulted in her fatal injury.
After weighing the testimony and forensic evidence, the jury unanimously found Crespo guilty of second-degree murder. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on Oct. 31.
Prosecutors have not yet stated what sentence they will seek, but the conviction carries the potential for a lengthy prison term. Second-degree murder in Florida is punishable by up to life in prison.
Crespo remains in custody as he awaits the next phase of court proceedings.