Justice has been served for the murder of a Yuma man, two years after his death

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Two years after being accused of brutally murdering Derek Runnion, the second suspect, Erick Chavez, has been sentenced for second-degree murder and kidnapping.

29-year-old, Erick Chavez will serve 25 years for murder and 15 for kidnapping, bringing him a total of 40 years behind bars.

Chavez’s trial was set to start last month, but instead, he accepted a plea deal, that was also offered last year and Chavez didn’t take it, extending the case even longer.

Last May, the first suspect Jonissa Jones was sentenced to 25 years to life, after pleading guilty to first-degree murder.

31-year-old Derek Runnion was last seen on March 24th, 2021, by his best friend Damon Anderson.

When Friday rolled around and there was still no sign of Derek, he filed a missing persons.

Putting up flyers, hoping that he would come home, but that never happened.

His remains were found on April 1, in a drainage tunnel in Winterhaven.

Court documents explained Chavez led investigators to Winterhaven where Derek Runnion's body was found stabbed, shot, and even burned.

Chavez admitted to being there during the time of the murder.

The court documents explain that Chavez says he assisted a friend in the murder because the friend threatened his family.

Chavez told investigators the friend wanted to kill Derek because he was, 'Gay as [expletive].'

The document says Chavez and Derek met through a gay dating app.

We now know Jones and Chavez were in a relationship, according to court documents.

Jones said in her initial interrogation she knew Chavez was bisexual and was okay with it as long as he didn't cheat on her.

On the day of the murder, warranted Facebook messages between Chavez and Jones show a scheme to kill, with one message planning for Chavez to shoot Derek, and if he screams for Jones to stab him. 

Derek's body was found with stab wounds to the back and neck along with a gunshot wound: a brutal way to die, but Derek's family says his spirit still lives on.