Felon Convicted of First Degree Murder in Brutal Fatal Beating of Girlfriend at Temecula Home

By City News Service, image via Shutterstock

A convicted felon who tortured and fatally beat his girlfriend at their Temecula home was convicted Monday of first-degree murder.

After deliberating one day, a Murrieta jury found 28-year-old Edgar Silva guilty of the 2013 killing of 20-year-old Shirley Chanel Corrales. Along with the murder count, jurors found true a special circumstance allegation of inflicting torture in the course of a killing.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 24. Silva is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. He remains held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Deputies were called to Silva’s residence in the 44000 block of Calle Hilario on the afternoon of Aug. 16, 2013, to investigate reports of a woman in distress.

When they arrived, the deputies located the unconscious victim in the master bedroom and attempted without success to revive her. Paramedics arrived moments later and pronounced Corrales dead at the scene.

Sgt. Jim Erickson said there was obvious evidence of foul play, and, according to court records, investigators seized a whip and a stick allegedly used to beat Corrales.

Erickson said deputies confirmed that Silva lived at the location and began searching the neighborhood for him. Hours later, a deputy and his canine partner found the defendant hiding in the backyard of a nearby residence, according to the sergeant. Silva was arrested without incident.

He apparently did not disclose what happened inside the home.

According to court records, Silva has two prior felony convictions for domestic violence and was on probation at the time of his arrest. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia.

He served time in state prison less than five years ago, records showed.