Luis R. Rondon, former King of the Society for Creative Anachronism’s East Kingdom, today was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in state prison in connection with the October 2019 murder of Deborah Waldinger reports the Orange County (NY) District Attorney.

Rondon had been convicted by a jury in October of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. The sentence is the highest authorized under the law for murder in the second degree.

Rondon, who was a peace officer and sergeant with the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority at the time of the murder, knew the victim through their activities in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

At the trial, prosecutors argued that Rondon had killed the victim by striking her repeatedly on the head with a recently purchased framing hammer, and then flew to California where he was later apprehended. Prosecutors argued that Rondon’s motive for killing the victim was that she had threatened to tell his wife about their relationship and that he feared losing his wife, his house and his pension.  

“I am gratified that this defendant received the maximum sentence for this particularly brutal murder that was made even more horrific by the fact that the victim was killed in her own home,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “It is always disturbing when someone whose job is to promote public safety commits acts of senseless violence.”