Three Defendants Convicted of First-Degree Murder for Life Insurance Proceeds

DATE: June 26, 2026

CASE: Michael Espinosa, Miguel Esquibel, Jeanette Nunes (Case #24FE008182)

PROSECUTOR: Principal Criminal Attorney Matthew Moore, Homicide Unit

Michael Espinosa, Miguel Esquibel, and Jeanette Nunes were each convicted of the first-degree murder of Vitaliy Zaytsev. Espinosa was also convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. The jury further found that Espinosa used a firearm to kill the victim and that he and Nunes carried out the murder for their financial gain.

From February 2024 to May 2024, Michael Espinosa conspired with his mother, Jeannette Nunes, to kill her boyfriend and collect the life insurance proceeds. On May 3, 2024, Espinosa and his friend, Miguel Esquibel, rented a car and drove from Idaho to California to kill the victim. They left their cell phones in Idaho and used a prepaid phone to communicate with Nunes. When Espinosa and Esquibel arrived at the victim's residence, Espinosa got out of the car, went to where the victim was sitting in his car, and shot the victim multiple times in the head. Espinosa and Esquibel then fled back to Idaho. Pursuant to their plan, Nunes was away from the home when the murder was committed. When she returned home and was interviewed by investigators, she pretended to have no knowledge of who could have killed the victim. Detectives later located deleted texts and calls on Nunes's phone, which showed she was communicating with the prepaid phone leading up to the murder.

An allegation that Espinosa has a prior strike conviction for robbery will be determined at the sentencing hearing.

Espinosa and Nunes both face a maximum sentence of life without parole and Esquibel faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in prison. Sentencing is set for July 24, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Department 16A before the Honorable Steve White.