Texas Hit Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Troy Murders

A Texas man hired as a hit man who was paid to murder a couple in Troy was sentenced today to life imprisonment with no possibility of release for two charges of murder-for-hire, United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced today.

Miguel Servando, 41, of Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald E. Rosen.

Servando pled guilty in November of 2008 to two counts of murder-for-hire. The offenses arose when Servando was paid to murder a couple in Troy. The Troy couple were involved in a contentious lawsuit over a significant amount of money with the man that hired Servando. The man believed that, by having the victims murdered, he could bring the lawsuit to an end.

At the time of his plea, Servando admitted to the Court that he murdered the couple in their home. Servando admitted that he posed as a delivery man and shot them in the head once he gained entry into their home.

In March of 2008, Servando and his state co-defendant, Nelson Mendoza, were pulled over while traveling southbound on I-75 after a Taylor police officer noticed the vehicle commit several traffic infractions. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed evidence that something terrible may have happened at a specific address in Troy. The Taylor officer contacted the Troy Police Department who, almost immediately, conducted a welfare check. During the welfare check, the Troy Police Department found the victims murdered with gunshot wounds to the head.

Servando testified at Mendoza’s murder trial, in Oakland County Circuit Court, and described how Mendoza drove him to the home and met him after the murders to take him back to Texas. Servando also testified about other individuals who were involved in recruiting and hiring him to commit the murders. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s office successfully convicted Mendoza of first degree murder. Mendoza is currently serving a life sentence with the Michigan Department of Corrections.

“This was a heinous crime where two innocent people lost their lives and a young woman lost her parents. Hopefully, knowing that the defendant received a life sentence and that he will never be able to hurt anyone again will help their daughter and their family continue to deal with and heal from this tragedy,” United States Attorney Berg said. “This case is an excellent example of the successful cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies in bringing a murderer to justice.”

United States Attorney Berg commended the hard work that the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Troy Police Department, Taylor Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Immigration Customs Enforcement provided in order to insure a successful prosecution.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Gorland and Matthew Roth.

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