Gwinnett father sentenced to life without parole for choking ex-girlfriend, burning her body
Jahir Sagahon (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Lawrenceville man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to the brutal 2023 strangling of his ex-girlfriend and the subsequent burning of her body in a vehicle. Jahir Sagahon, 32, was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of 28-year-old Rubi Maldonado-Nava, the mother of his young son.
What we know:
Jahir Sagahon entered a non-negotiated plea of guilty to malice murder following the March 2023 death of Rubi Maldonado-Nava. Investigators say Sagahon strangled the victim during an argument, placed her body in the trunk of a car, and drove to Oglethorpe County. Once there, he used a gasoline-soaked rag to ignite the vehicle’s gas tank. When police eventually located Sagahon, he was found with severe burns on his face and hands.
The backstory:
The case began on March 23, 2023, when police were called to Maldonado-Nava's home for a wellness check. The investigation quickly shifted to Sagahon, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her child. Evidence presented in court showed a chilling level of premeditation; Sagahon had performed online searches for chloroform and instructions on how to fatally strangle someone prior to the killing. Furthermore, it was revealed that Sagahon took his 3-year-old son to a Home Depot to purchase the two-gallon gas canister used to destroy the evidence.
What they're saying:
Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson emphasized the gravity of the loss following the sentencing.
"This defendant took a mother away from her child," Austin-Gatson said. "We are pleased with this outcome and hope that the victim’s child, her family and her loved ones are able to find closure and a sense of justice from this outcome."
The Source: Information for this report was provided by the Gwinnett County District Attorney.