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A Virginia woman has been sentenced to 35 years for throwing her 2-year-old granddaughter off a walkway at a busy shopping mall, a murder the judge called “almost beyond comprehension”.

Carmela dela Rosa, 51, offered a tearful, barely audible apology to her family, saying: “I’m very sorry for what I’ve done”.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce White imposed the full sentence recommended by the jury that convicted her last year. Under Virginia law, White had the option to reduce the sentence to the mandatory minimum of 20 years, but could not go above the jury’s recommendation.

Dela Rosa, a naturalized US citizen born in the Philippines, killed her granddaughter Angelyn Ogdoc at the end of a family outing in November 2010 to Tysons Corner Center.

The evidence at trial showed that she deliberately hung back with Angelyn as the family exited along a nearly 50-foot (15-meter)  skywalk connecting the mall to a multi-level parking garage, so she  could scoop up Angelyn and toss her over the guardrail without any interference from her family.

In a videotaped confession, dela Rosa told police she killed Angelyn to get back at her son-in-law for getting her daughter pregnant out of wedlock and ruining her daughter’s opportunities for a better life.

Dela Rosa’s lawyer, public defender Dawn Butorac, argued unsuccessfully that dela Rosa’s mental illness - severe depression - rendered her legally insane and unable to appreciate the consequences of her actions or understand right from wrong.

Butorac said she will appeal the verdict, and that she believes the jury did not fully appreciate the depth of dela Rosa’s depression, which had gotten worse in the year before the murder and led her to attempt suicide on multiple occasions.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh said that while it may be more comforting to believe that a grandmother must be crazy to kill  her grandchild in such a brutal manner, the evidence showed that dela Rosa was a hateful, spiteful, jealous woman who harboured animosity not only against her son-in-law but also at Angelyn herself for stealing attention away from dela Rosa. She admitted exactly that during her videotaped confession.

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Fri May 24 05:58:46 SAST 2013 ::

Jan 9, 2012

WordofGod

ok!!!
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Jan 9, 2012

MORNACHIES

With this Americans i rest mi case .
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Jan 9, 2012

Uncompromising

.........and the world ends on 21 December 2012. It better 'cause i'm tired of reading such nonsense.
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Jan 9, 2012

MGEEZ

The world needs Jesus Christ of Nazareth!!!!!
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Jan 9, 2012

live99

The world is getting scarrier by the day
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Jan 9, 2012

candilious

WTF is happening in the world what haas the innocent kids have to do with Adults insanity?
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Jan 9, 2012

poshcayene

The woman is clearly sick, no normal being can do this..... May she rot in hell!!!
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Jan 9, 2012

Mopedi_Thwiii

There is no peace in this world
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Jan 9, 2012

Habashwe

@ candilious.......WTF is happening in the world what haas the innocent kids have to do with Adults insanity?

I agree with you 110%. I dont understand what do you think you will achieve by killing these poor souls?
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Jan 9, 2012

UMakoti

JERUSAREMA!!!
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