A judge has sentenced two former sex workers to 25 years to life in prison for murdering a florist in his Chelsea apartment in 2012. In October, a jury found Edwin Faulkner, 33, and Juan Carlos Martinez-Herrera, 35, guilty of second degree murder, manslaughter, kidnapping and robbery in the death of John Laubach, who suffocated after they bound and gagged him early one morning that March. They later looted his apartment and fled to Florida.
During the trial, a prosecutor said, "The defendants may not have intended the death of John Laubach, but there is no doubt they recklessly engaged in conduct that killed him."
Faulkner's lawyer argued that the death was the result of "raw sex for which no one is criminally responsible," and that the pair panicked when they realized he had died. Martinez-Herrera testified that he was choking Laubach as Laubach performed oral sex on him, when suddenly Laubach turned "purple and blue." A jury rejected the defense, deliberating for less than a day before returning with a guilty verdict.
Martinez-Herrera and Faulkner made off with Laubach's laptop, jewelry, and debit card. A concerned friend found Laubach's body several hours later. Late that morning, Martinez-Herrera unsuccessfully tried to withdraw money from an ATM using Laubach's card. The two then pawned a piece of the jewelry. Five days passed before they fled to Orlando with luggage full of stolen stuff, and another 10 before police tracked them down.
"The defendants in this case displayed an utter disregard for human life," District Attorney Cy Vance said in a statement, adding "Thanks to the work of my office’s prosecutors, they must now take responsibility for their horrendous crimes."
Laubach was known for walking around the neighborhood with his pet parrot on his shoulder, and was described as active in his church. He designed floral displays for events, and was studying as a seminarian.
