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Lancaster County Man Sentenced to Two Life Terms After Guilty Plea in Double Killing

Prosecutors say the shootings followed a “senseless” dispute over who would cook dinner.

Overview

  • Judge Jeffrey Conrad imposed two consecutive life terms without parole plus 20 to 40 additional years, ordered more than $11,000 in restitution, and issued a no-contact order.
  • Santiago Payano-Sanchez, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, and possessing an instrument of crime.
  • The shootings occurred on Oct. 5, 2025, at a home on Oak Hollow Drive in West Hempfield Township, killing Ana Gutierrez-Cedano, 59, and 74-year-old Dominga Cedano-Cedano.
  • Payano-Sanchez shot his 33-year-old son in the abdomen during a struggle for the gun; the son survived, and two children, ages 2 and 7, were present but uninjured.
  • Court records show a 2010 protection-from-abuse order in which he threatened his wife’s life, and officials said the firearm used was lawfully owned.