SAN ANTONIO — Exactly twenty-two months after a San Antonio teacher was shot dead leaving his home – the result of a breakup with deadly results – the man who killed him was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Matthew Wiessing pleaded guilty in the murder of Michael Echaniz, who was just 23 when he died on March 10, 2022, at a northwest-side apartment complex. San Antonio investigators honed in on Wiessing, now 27 years old, after examining surveillance footage placing him at the scene as well as finding evidence on his cell phone, including information on how to silence gunshots and wash off gunfire residue.
Wiessing was arrested more than two weeks after the murder, having been questioned by police in the early stages of the investigation. At the time, SAPD said, police initially didn't find probably cause to take him into custody.
The Bexar County District Attorney's Office chalked the motive up to Wiessing wanting "reconciliation" after Echaniz started dating his ex.
Echaniz, who taught at Great Hearts Forest Heights, was shot multiple times. According to arrest records, Wiessing's mother told police her son had been away at odd hours in the days leading up to the murder, adding two guns were missing from the home.
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