India to Extradite Man Convicted in 2005 Murder

Livingston fled after sentencing in 2007

POSTED: 02:41 PM CDT Jun 17, 2015



BROWNSVILLE -A man convicted of murder in Cameron County is a step closer to serving his sentence. It's been more than a year since authorities captured Amit Livingston in India.

Livingston was been on the run since 2007. That's when he pleaded guilty to killing Hermelia Garcia Hernandez of Edinburg.

Abel Limas, the district judge at the time, sentenced Livingston to 23 years in prison. He also granted him 60 days to get his affairs in order before surrendering to prison officials.

Livingston never appeared to serve his sentence.

This morning, Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said officials transferred Livingston to New Delhi, where he's awaiting extradition. We're told once the final paperwork is signed, India has 60 days to turn Livingston over to U.S. Marshals.

The delay in the extradition was due to charges Livingston faced in India. After his arrest last year, those charges were supposed to be dropped, but Indian government officials reversed their decision. Livingston was tried on those charges in March.

While Livingston has been a fugitive since 2007, the crime took place two years earlier. Hernandez's body was found on a sand dune on South Padre Island in 2005. Livingston was taken into custody more than a year later.

Limas and then-district attorney Armando Villalobos were later convicted on charges connected to Livingston's case.

Investigators said they orchestrated Livingston's release after his guilty plea and later split the bond money.

http://www.krgv.com/news/local-news/...urder/33633564