(Tribune News Service) — A Texas truck driver who kidnapped and killed a 25-year-old Army veteran last year was sentenced to life in federal prison Thursday, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Texas said.
Naasson Hazzard, 28, of Austin, was convicted on a charge of kidnapping resulting in death in February, the Star-Telegram previously reported. The victim, identified by family members as Caleigha Zangari of Dallas, was found dead last August in the woods off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg.
Surveillance video presented at trial showed Zangari entering Hazzard’s semi truck on the night of Aug. 15, 2024, officials said in a statement. Zangari’s body was found eight days later with a plastic bag tied around her head.
Hazzard had initially picked up Zangari with the intention of performing a sex act, according to the statement. In the days that followed, he switched cellphones and deleted his Google and Life360 location sharing accounts, officials said.
Hazzard also cleaned his truck with bleach and searched online for the sentences for first-, second- and third-degree murder, according to the statement. He and his wife later returned to the scene before going to dinner in Tyler, officials said.
Zangari served in Afghanistan and became a victim of sex trafficking after returning to the United States, her family previously said.
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Judge torso, arms crossed with a gavel in front of them (armypicca (123RF))
