Oakmont man sentenced for murder of 3-year-old daughter
A man convicted of murder in the death of his 3-year-old daughter learned his fate in court on Tuesday.
A judge sentenced Jose Salazar-Ortiz to 33 to 66 years in prison. Judge Bruce Beemer said it’s one of the most difficult cases he’s ever presided over.
Salazar-Ortiz was the father of Bella Seachrist, 3, who prosecutors say was born as a result of an affair.
Investigators say Bella, who slept in a cot in the hallway of the family’s Oakmont home, was starved to death and was tortured and abused.
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Salazar-Ortiz’s wife, Laura, who prosecutors say orchestrated the abuse, was convicted on a murder charge earlier this summer.
Beemer did not mince words before sentencing Salazar-Ortiz — saying he “had every opportunity in the world to give her life” — but instead chose death for his daughter by not giving her another family that would love her. One of those options — Salazar-Ortiz’s own family — his sister and his parents raised Bella for a year and could have taken her back under their care.
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But instead, said Beemer, Salazar-Ortiz chose death.
“We respect the court’s decision. It was a grueling case,” said Blaine Jones, defense attorney for Salazar-Ortiz. “The judge gave us insight as to why he sentenced the way he did. I’ve been in front of judges where they just sentence and walk off the bench, so I appreciated the rationale that led to the conclusion of his sentence.”
Tuesday marked another step towards justice for Bella Seachrist, 3, as her father learned his fate: a minimum of three decades behind bars after being found guilty of murder, along with Bella’s stepmother, who orchestrated the abuse.
“A large part of the case dealt with Mr. Salazar-Ortiz’s inability to stop Laura Ramirez. I think it showed he was not capable of trying to calm her down from her fury, rage, anger…” Jones said.
Born as a result of her father’s affair, prosecutors described the “torture, abuse, and starvation” of Bella inside of the family’s home in Oakmont. Judge Beemer said the little girl’s “body simply collapsed” at the hands of the couple, while their other kids were properly cared for. Prosecutors previously showed text messages where Bella’s father and her stepmother called her “ugly,” something Beemer vehemently spoke out against, calling the child “beautiful.”
Salazar-Ortiz’s family, who, at one time, had Bella in their care in North Carolina, sobbed in the courtroom. Through tears, his sister read a statement, describing her brother and humble and caring.
“I think they showed up to support the brother and Bella’s memory,” Jones said.
Jones will withdraw from the case, and Salazar-Ortiz will be appointed another attorney moving forward.
“He’s owning today. He’s owning the fact that he’ll never see his daughter again,” Jones.
Ramirez will be formally sentenced at a later time, and the trial of another family member, Alexis Herrera, is scheduled for next year.
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