Santa Rosa man wants to withdraw plea in 2022 killing of Windsor man found buried

A Santa Rosa man’s sentencing was rescheduled Thursday because he wants to withdraw his no-contest plea in the killing of a Windsor man found buried in 2022.

Juan Antonio Martinez was supposed to be sentenced in Sonoma County Superior Court in the June 2022 killing of Deydhy Jordy Silverio Castro.

Martinez faced 20 years to life in prison after pleading no contest Feb. 6 to one count each of murder and posing as a kidnapper to commit extortion.

He’s represented by the Sonoma County Public Defenders Office, and Chief Deputy Public Defender Jeff Mitchell said Thursday he couldn’t disclose why Martinez wants to withdraw his plea.

The 35-year-old has been jailed since his arrest June 21, 2022.

Martinez is accused of killing Silverio Castro, who was reported missing June 13, 2022, and days later found buried in the 5000 block of Eastside Road in Forestville.

At the time, officials with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said the men were last seen together June 10, 2022, when they left Windsor with a large amount of cash to buy a car.

They visited multiple cities before Martinez fatally shot Silverio Castro near Windsor River Road and Kensington Lane in Windsor.

Investigators said Martinez washed his pickup truck, and discarded his gun and clothes after. It wasn’t immediately clear if the gun was ever recovered.

On June 18, 2022, officials said, the victim’s wife received a phone call from a man who disguised his voice and demanded a ransom.

The abandoned pickup, which had blood inside, was discovered two days later in the 5000 block of Westside Road south of Healdsburg.

Investigators found Silverio Castro’s money at Martinez’s home, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi