Frederick, Md. (KM) – A Frederick man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing another man in 2023. On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Kathleen English handed down the sentence to 40-year-old Santos Felipe Reyes-Valle, who was convicted by a jury in June 2025 of first- and second-degree murder.
According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, on May 17, 2023, Frederick Police responded to the Home Depot parking lot on North McCain Drive after receiving reports of an unresponsive man covered in blood. The victim, identified as Jose Pedro Fernandez, was transported to Frederick Health Hospital, where he later died.
Witnesses at the scene told detectives they saw a man known as “Felipe” brandishing a knife nearby. Investigators later discovered a blood-stained folding knife in a wooded area close to the scene. Police soon located Reyes-Valle walking nearby with wet clothing and scratches on his face and arms.
He was taken into custody, and forensic testing confirmed that both his and the victim’s DNA were found on the knife, along with Reyes-Valle’s fingerprints.
State’s Attorney Charlie Smith praised the prosecution team, stating, “Our prosecutors put in substantial effort to ensure this murderer received a substantial sentence. Life in prison achieves justice for both the victim’s family and our community.”
During the sentencing, Fernandez’s family shared how deeply the crime had impacted them, writing, “Pedro was the head of our family, and his loss has affected us greatly. We don’t know why he was taken from us, and we want the defendant to never be released.”
