On the night 19-year-old Alejandro Flores-Ramirez was stabbed to death, he told friends he planned to return to high school the next week to complete his education.

Ramirez

Minutes later, Gean Estrada, 19, said, he rushed to the aid of his friend, who had collapsed in a pool of blood after being stabbed by two men during an argument.

"There was lots of blood, and he was trying to breathe," Estrada said.

An hour later, Flores-Ramirez was pronounced dead at University Hospital.

Yesterday, Antonio Martinez, 26, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder and five years for armed criminal action for inflicting the mortal wound that killed Martinez during the early hours of Aug. 22.

Rafael Carlos Nieves, 39, of Fayette, who pleaded guilty in March to second-degree assault and armed criminal action, is scheduled for sentencing June 19 for his part in the attack.

Estrada was in the courtroom yesterday with two of Flores-Ramirez’s brothers for the sentencing by Circuit Judge Gene Hamilton. The men had hoped Martinez would receive more prison time for taking the life of their friend and brother.

"I felt he should have gotten at least 40 years," said Miquel Flores-Ramirez, 25. "He will only be in his 40s when he gets out."

Columbia police have said that Flores-Ramirez was stabbed at about 1:30 a.m. while fighting during an argument about a woman who was with Martinez and Nieves. Witnesses said the men were part of a small gathering of friends drinking alcohol and listening to music in a parking lot at the Village Apartments, near Ash Street and West Boulevard.

When police arrived, they found Flores-Ramirez collapsed on the front porch of a home on Clinton Street, across Ash from the stabbing scene.

Boone County Assistant Prosecutor Merilee Crocket said in March that Nieves admitted he stabbed Flores-Ramirez in the back during the fistfight, but a medical examiner’s report showed that Nieves did not inflict the wound that caused the victim’s death.

Columbia police Detective Mitchell Baxley testified that Martinez admitted during a police interview the next day that he had stabbed the victim.

"Mr. Martinez said the victim was walking away from him and he grabbed his arm and stabbed him twice in the chest area," Baxley said. "He was angry and didn’t want Flores to think he could get away with punching him that way."

Baxley added that Martinez made the statement in a "relaxed, matter-of-fact way. He showed no remorse."

Defense attorney Richard French reminded the judge that Martinez had been drinking the night of the crime and that his client’s girlfriend had made a call for help.

A story and headline yesterday about Antonio Martinez should have said he was sentenced to 20 years in prison - 15 years for second-degree murder and a consecutive term of five years for armed criminal action - in the Aug. 22 stabbing death of Alejandro Flores-Ramirez.