It’s a story that shocked the entire city, and even prosecutors say they have a hard time believing the facts. A man takes responsibility for killing his mother and 4-year-old half brother.
Roberto Martinez-Marinero, 25, pleads guilty to two counts of first degree murder and a weapons charge and is sentenced Wednesday morning.
In May he stabbed and beat his mother, Jesus Ismenia Marinero, to death with a baseball bat at his home. He dumped her body at 4th & Cedar St.
Roberto also admitted to throwing his 4-year-old half brother Josue Ramirez-Marinero, into the Elkhorn River, while the boy was screaming. The boy was found dead on the banks of the river days later.
Wednesday in Douglas County District Court, Roberto is sentenced to two life in prison terms plus 5 years.
"It doesn't make any sense. If he's guilty he's guilty. Justice is not done yet we've got one more, it's coming up. They're both guilty so they've both got to pay for what they did,” said Veronica Rosa, Ismenia’s niece and Roberto’s cousin.
In exchange for the plea prosecutors will not seek the death penalty, but they are satisfied that he won't be allowed to appeal.
"There's really a question as to what would happen with regard to the death penalty anyway,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine explained. "Child cases specifically they never leave you from the standpoint of the thoughts that you have about those children and how their lives ended.”
Douglas County Public Defender Tom Riley said there was no hope for success at trial, and the soft spoken Roberto would've plead guilty the day charges were filed if he could have.
Illegally in the U.S. from El Salvador, Roberto mostly speaks Spanish but didn't tell anyone he was sorry in court.
His girlfriend and mother of his children, Gabriele Guevara, is in jail waiting for trial on 5 counts of accessory in this case. Attorneys are currently filing briefs as to whether or not her interview should be allowed at trial.
Prosecutors say Martinez-Marinero and Guevara dropped their own children off at her parents’ home before he threw Josue into the river.
