Cousin of Slain L.A. Disc Jockey Given 15-Years-to-Life Sentence

The 21-year-old cousin of slain Los Angeles disc jockey Rodolfo Garcia Cortez was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in prison for the 1986 beating death of the popular KWKW announcer.

Gustavo Garcia Aguilar, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder after admitting that he struck Cortez, 43, on the head with a metal pipe and stuffed his body in a trash container.

In an interview with his probation officer, Aguilar expressed remorse for the killing, but said that he had become enraged with his cousin after the older man accused him of stealing a car stereo and money from him, according to court documents. Aguilar had moved in with his cousin two months before the murder.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert M. Brodney said Aguilar, who was trained in animal husbandry but was only able to find odd jobs in Los Angeles, was jealous of his prominent cousin.

“The defendant’s family had put pressure on him to succeed, but he was not as successful,” the prosecutor said.