Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Brutal Murder Case

ODESSA, TX – On Friday afternoon Joseph Benjamin Madden III was found guilty of murder after he beat, robbed and fatally stabbed 68-year-old Joe “Pepe” Valenzuela.

Madden was sentenced to 60 years in prison after he brutally murdered Valenzuela in 2017. According to KTXS, Valenzuela had given Madden a ride to Pepe’s T-Shirts, the shop that he owned. Video surveillance and a witness painted a picture of the interactions that had transpired between Madden and Valenzuela.

Valenzuela and a friend had been eating at Loves Truck Stop in February of 2017 when they were approached by Madden asking for a ride, claiming he had just gotten out of jail. Valenzuela then texted the witness to let him know that he would be taking Madden back to his store.

When police officers responded to Pepe’s T-Shirts on a medical call, they found Valenzuela dead with swelling and blunt force trauma to the face. He was also stabbed multiple times in the back.

During the investigation, police found that Valenzuela’s phone and vehicle were missing and obtained an order to trace the phone. They were able to determine that the phone had been used in the area of Desoto, TX.

A search of recently released inmates and video surveillance from the Ector County Law Enforcement Center showed the only inmate that had been released during the time span was Joseph Benjamin Madden II and he was wearing a black coat, black pants, and brown boots; the clothes the witness had described him wearing when he asked Valenzuela for a ride. Video surveillance from the truck stop showed Madden approaching Valenzuela while he was eating.

Records showed that Madden had a residence listed in Desoto. After locating the stolen vehicle, ¼ of a mile from his home, police were able to arrest Madden on murder charges.