The Murder of Fernando Pastorizzo

Fernando Pastorizzo was killed in the early hours of December 29, 2017, in Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos. The case became nationally prominent because the accused, Nahir Galarza, was 19 when she was convicted and because the trial examined conflicting accounts of the relationship, the shooting and alleged prior violence.

The investigation

Galarza acknowledged that she had been present with Fernando and that the weapon belonged to her father, a police officer. The central legal dispute was not whether the shots came from that weapon, but how the killing occurred and what criminal classification followed from the evidence.

The defence advanced different arguments during the case, including that the shots had been accidental and that Galarza had experienced violence in the relationship. The trial court assessed those claims against forensic evidence, communications and witness testimony. This page records the court's findings without presenting rejected defence arguments as established facts.

The 2018 conviction

On July 3, 2018, a court in Gualeguaychú convicted Galarza of aggravated homicide because of the intimate relationship with Fernando and imposed life imprisonment. The judges rejected other aggravating circumstances requested by the prosecution and also rejected the defence position that would have substantially reduced criminal responsibility.

Later provincial appellate proceedings left the conviction in place. The case then moved to Argentina's Supreme Court through extraordinary review efforts.

The Supreme Court leaves the conviction standing

On July 2, 2024, Argentina's Supreme Court rejected an extraordinary challenge and left the life sentence in force. A later request for reconsideration was also rejected in November 2024, eliminating the ordinary extraordinary route then being pursued by the defence.

The legal consequence is clear: Galarza remains convicted of Fernando Pastorizzo's murder and is serving a life sentence. Media discussion about alternative theories does not erase that final judgment.

A new 2026 revision request

In July 2026, a new defence team filed an extraordinary revision request before the Superior Tribunal of Justice of Entre Ríos. Reporting on the filing said the challenge questioned aspects of a forensic examination and the legal classification used in the case.

A revision request is not the same thing as a reopened conviction or an acquittal. No decision located for this update has overturned the life sentence. The current status therefore remains Solved / Adjudicated, with a post-conviction review request pending.

What the case does not establish

Public discussion of the case has included later allegations against third parties and competing descriptions of the relationship. Unless a court has established criminal responsibility for another person, this archive does not present those allegations as fact. The operative judicial record remains the conviction of Nahir Galarza.

Timeline

1. December 29, 2017
   Fernando Pastorizzo is killed

   The homicide occurs in Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos.

2. July 3, 2018
   Life sentence imposed

   Nahir Galarza is convicted of aggravated homicide and sentenced to life imprisonment.

3. July 2, 2024
   Supreme Court rejects extraordinary challenge

   The life sentence remains in force.

4. November 26, 2024
   Further reconsideration rejected

   The Supreme Court rejects the remaining request directed at its prior ruling.

5. July 2026
   Extraordinary revision requested

   A new defence team asks the provincial high court to review the conviction on new legal and evidentiary grounds.

Current status

The murder is solved and adjudicated as to Nahir Galarza. Her life sentence became final through the ordinary appellate route and remained in force as of August 27, 2026. A later extraordinary revision request has been filed, but no ruling overturning the conviction was located for this update.