A Colombian man who killed his wife and daughter in the 1990s was found in the United States this week, US authorities said.

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William Hernando Usma Acosta fled in 1994 after shooting his wife and child dead in Medellin during an argument, the FBI says.

The man, now 61, was found in Belmont, Massachusetts as Carlos Alberto Rendon. The 60-year-old has since married an American and the couple had a son.

By virtue of his marriage, the murderer was able to obtain permanent legal status in the United States and applied for citizenship in 2020 using a fraudulent birth certificate, according to the FBI.

However, to make her request, Usma Acosta also had to provide her fingerprints. These were later used to verify his true identity, reports the New York Post.

“William Hernando Usma Acosta must face justice for what he did. This is a murderer who thought he could escape justice by entering the United States and creating a new identity,” says Joseph Bonavolonta, a special agent in charge of the Boston division of the FBI.

Usma Acosta fled his native country shortly after the murder of his wife, Laura Rose Agudelo, on June 19, 1994, but was convicted in absentia of murder and possession of firearms with an international arrest warrant issued against him.

He received a 45-year prison sentence, which was reduced to 29.5 years due to a change in sentencing guidelines. His civil rights were also restricted for a period of 10 years.

US immigration officials now intend to send the murderer back to Colombia.