Manuel Machado Alvarez

Manuel Machado Alvarez (1960 – July 3, 2020) was a Cuban murderer who was sentenced to death in California. In 1987, while on parole for voluntary manslaughter, he murdered a man during a robbery, a crime for which he was sentenced to die.

In 2020, Machado became one of a dozen California death row inmates to die in the span of less than two months as the result of a COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison. He died on the same day as Scott Erskine, who also died from COVID-19.

Machado arrived in the United States in the Mariel boatlift in 1980. After initially being detained at several camps, he went to Richmond, Virginia, in 1981, under the sponsorship of a married couple with young children. He lived with the family for about two months, and displayed mixed behavior of both kindness and anger.

Machado was convicted of voluntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to four years in prison. In December 1982, he escaped from a maximum security prison with two other Spanish-speaking inmates. They surrendered several hours later, and each of their sentences were extended by 16 months. Machado was paroled in 1986.

In March 1987, in violation of his parole, Machado moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento. There, he lived on and off with Leslie Colyer and Neetelfer Hawkins, his friend. Machado spent most of his time using drugs and drinking alcohol.

Not long after leaving the house, Machado robbed and assaulted 78-year-old Greta Slatten. Slatten had driven to a store with no cars in the parking lot and no people present outside, other than Machado. She stayed in her car with doors locked until Machado appeared to walk to a payphone. When Slatten passed by Machado, he knocked her unconscious before stealing her car and purse. He was arrested in Mississippi on May 27, after a high-speed chase. His passenger, Charles Robinson, was also arrested. Machado was soon returned to California to face criminal charges, including murder.

On June 9, 1989, Machado was found guilty on all counts. Ross was only convicted of attempted robbery and being an accessory to murder after the fact. She received a sentence of 3 years and 8 months, and an additional 5 years as a serious felony enhancement due to a prior robbery conviction. She was released from prison in the 1990s.

During the sentencing phase for Machado, the prosecution pointed to his prior convictions and history of violence as aggravating factors. Machado's defense team discussed his troubled upbringing and gave examples of times when he'd shown kindness, including positive interactions he had with Neetelfer Hawkins. Machado was sent to death row at San Quentin State Prison.

Death Machado died on July 3, 2020, at the age of 59, after contracting COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in California. He died on the same day as fellow death row inmate Scott Erskine, who also died from COVID-19. Both of them had been hospitalized before their deaths.