A man convicted of killing one woman and raping another at his Palm City home was sentenced Tuesday to two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years to life. Rafael Reyes Banda, 47, was found guilty by a San Diego jury last fall of killing 35-year-old Jayme Dawn Mor ton, whose body was found at Banda’s Citrus Avenue home in March 2023. Previous coverage: South Bay Mar 16, 2023 Man Accused of Holding Woman Captive in South Bay; Police Find Body of Second Woman In Home South Bay Nov 24, 2025 Man killed one woman, raped 2nd in South Bay home where body was found, finds jury Prosecutors said he also held another woman captive at the home, raped her, and demanded she help him dismember Morton’s body. That woman was able to escape the house and flag down a passerby, leading to Banda’s arrest. At trial, prosecutors said Banda tied up Morton and beat her over the belief that she had stolen property from him, while one of Banda’s defense attorneys, Gretchen Von Helms, argued her client lacked injuries to his hands that would indicate he had struck someone. Von Helms told jurors it was more likely that Morton died of a drug overdose and argued the case against Banda was concocted by the woman who said Banda raped her. Jurors convicted Banda in November of murder, rape and kidnapping charges. Along with his prison sentence, Banda is required to register as a sex offender. Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney also declined a defense request to dismiss allegations regarding Banda’s prior strike convictions, both of which stemmed from incidents in which he stabbed another person. In denying the request, Devaney cited the circumstances of the murder case, which he described as “frankly incredible for me and I’ve been doing this a long time,” as well as Banda’s criminal history and pending cases. Banda pleaded guilty in a separate case out of East County, in which prosecutors say he assaulted a nurse. He was sentenced Tuesday to a six-year prison term in that case, which will be served consecutively to the murder sentence. Banda also has a pending assault case related to an alleged attack on a fellow county jail inmate. He’s due back in a San Diego courtroom next month in that case. After the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Josh Brisbane said he felt the sentence reflected that “equal justice” can be found for victims from all walks of life, even if the victims struggle with drug addiction or homelessness, as the women in this case did. The prosecutor said Banda “chose these victims because he thought they were people that no one would care about.” Two of Morton’s siblings who attended the hearing said their sister left behind two sons. Her brother, Michael Morton, said one of her sons has since graduated from high school, which he said was “a pivotal moment for all young adults, but there was an emptiness. His mom wasn’t there. I know she would have been so proud of him for that accomplishment.” Morton said he and his wife have adopted her younger son, but he said he dreads having to one day explain to the boy what happened to his mother. “Taking her from us was a selfish, cruel act that was nothing short of pure evil done by a vile monster,” Morton said. Morton’s sister, Rachel Davis, said the family, particularly her sister’s sons, were “robbed” of the chance of seeing her sister overcome her addiction and rejoin the family. “We always had hope that she would become sober and come back to us, but that was taken away,” Davis said. ...read more read less