Evil Lives Here is investigating the murder of Vincent Apilado, who was gunned down in his home by his adult son, Steven “Stevie” Apilado, in El Paso, Texas.
Stevie already had a history of violence against his parents and his sister. However, during his trial, he claimed that he had been sleepwalking when he killed his father and couldn’t remember shooting him.
On November 29, 2015, Stevie’s mother, Elsa Apilado, believed her husband and son were watching television in another room. Suddenly, Elsa heard a gunshot, and Stevie came running into her room.
Stevie told his mother, “Mom, I don’t know what happened. . . . The gun just went off. Dad is on the ground. . . . Please, Mom, kill me.”
Elsa dialed 911, and when the cops arrived, she explained that her son had killed 79-year-old Vincent. In the meantime, the killer barricaded himself in the house, which led to a SWAT team surrounding the house. Stevie surrendered after a short negotiation.
Stevie was already serving probation for a 2014 assault on his parents. In that incident, he had pepper sprayed and pistolwhipped Vincent and Elsa.
Steven Apilado said he was sleepwalking when he killed Vincent Apilado
The killer said he hadn’t meant to shoot his father and claimed he was sleepwalking. Stevie did suffer from insomnia and often went days without sleep. At the trial, Stevie’s attorney, Rick Hagan, told the court, “When Stevie sleepwalks, he’s unaware [of] what he does. He doesn’t remember what he did.”
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe prosecution argued the rifle used in the killing, a Mosin-Nagant, was of a type that cannot be fired again without opening the bolt, ejecting the cartridge, and loading another cartridge in the chamber.
Stevie had fired the weapon multiple times, which suggested he had been fully awake. Prosecutor Amanda Enriquez pointed out, “He had to retrieve bullets from somewhere. That was an intentional act.”
The El Paso police had previously confiscated a rifle from Stevie following the 2014 assault, but his parents had actually purchased the Mosin-Nagant for him.
Steven Apilado convicted in Vincent Apilado murder
In December 2016, Stevie Apilado was convicted of murder and sentenced to 80 years. After the verdict, Elsa and Stevie’s sister, Maya Burgess, both said they had hoped for a not-guilty verdict, and Burgess lamented that the murder had been preventable.
Stevie is currently incarcerated at the James V Allred Unit prison in Iowa Park, TX. He will be eligible for parole in 2045, when he will be in his 60s.
Evil Lives Here airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.