(Lawrenceville, GA., 8/30/24) – A Gwinnett County jury convicted a Duluth man for fatally stabbing a 19-year-old escort after a dispute over money.

Timothy James Krueger, 51, was found guilty Friday of malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault for the June 16, 2022, stabbing death of Sarai Llanos Gomez. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning a verdict.

“This was a cruel, brutal way for this young woman to die,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “Ms. Llanos Gomez has two children who are motherless. This defendant was cold and calculating, and the jury’s swift verdict will deliver much-deserved justice to Ms. Llanos Gomez and to her family and loved ones.”

Krueger requested an escort on the night of June 16, 2022, and a different woman was sent to his home than the one he wanted. At some point after Llanos Gomez arrived, a dispute erupted over the amount of pay she received. Krueger, having been robbed before by an escort, became agitated. Llanos, who was much smaller than Krueger, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and tried to leave the home.

Krueger disarmed her of the knife, stabbing her in the back and then repeatedly all over her body before finally slitting her throat. He then cut off Llanos Gomez’s clothes, wrapped her body in a blanket, and put the body in his car. He took the body to the wooded area of a Hall County residential area where he dumped the remains. Homeowners in the Hall County neighborhood discovered Llanos Gomez’s body four days later and called police. Investigators were able to identify Llanos Gomez and used cell phone activity to place her at Krueger’s home. Police matched a suspect vehicle recorded on a Hall County resident's Ring camera to Krueger’s car, and he confessed to killing Llanos Gomez, although in court he claimed self-defense.

Assistant District Attorneys Gabriela Benghiat, Kelli Diamond Johnson and Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin prosecuted the case. Investigator Tiffany Mosley and Victim Advocate Sara Gardner assisted. Gwinnett County Police Detective Ryan Jorstad and Hall County Sheriff’s Investigator Joseph Groover were invaluable in securing a confession.

Krueger will be sentenced at a later date.