Son sentenced for mom's murder as family says they'll 'erase' him from lives

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Buttons with the representation of Maria Elias filled a Fresno County Courtroom Tuesday arsenic household members packed successful to retrieve her.

"She died astatine the hands of idiosyncratic she loved," authoritative Kaitlin Drake work aloud from a missive written by Elias' daughter, Sylvia.

As Sylvia sat with her household members, they each wore white.

Just feet away, household subordinate Juan Mata was sitting successful a reddish jumpsuit.

"I volition ne'er forgive you for what you person done to my household and I. May 18, 2020, was the time she died, arsenic good arsenic the time you did to us," Sylvia said successful her letter.

Prosecutors accidental Mata turned connected his parent and killed her. The woman's location was the tract of a brutal scene.

Investigators accidental a leaf was inactive wrong her, and a powerfulness cord was wrapped astir her cervix erstwhile they arrived.

"I judge nary 1 should dice the mode she did," Sylvia wrote.

Mata denied the execution complaint against him for astir 5 years.

He archetypal pleaded not blameworthy and past aboriginal not blameworthy by crushed of insanity.

But aft a intelligence wellness evaluation, his lawsuit went to proceedings successful February.

Two days in, helium pleaded nary contest, agreeing not to combat the complaint immoderate longer.

"Mr. Mata, you are sentenced to 15 years to beingness for the execution of your mother," Judge Brian Alvarez said. He past added six much years, sending Mata distant for 21 years to beingness successful total.

It was portion of an statement with prosecutors.

"I anticipation helium rots successful situation for the remainder of his beingness with the thoughts of what helium did to the lone idiosyncratic connected world that genuinely and volition everlastingly emotion him," Sylvia wrote.

"After today, we volition erase the thought of you ever being successful our lives."

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