Thread: Illegal immigrant gets 33 years to life in shooting death

BUTLER COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT

Illegal immigrant gets 33 years to life in shooting death
Victim's family urged tough sentence, saying Estrada-Lopez showed no remorse.
By Lauren Pack

Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 11, 2008


Butler County Common Pleas Judge Patricia Oney handed down the sentence Monday afternoon, Nov. 10. Daniel Estrada-Lopez was convicted of aggravated murder with a gun specification for killing Gloria Applegate in an alley behind East Avenue on June. 1.

Applegate, 32, was the mother of teenage two sons. She was known to Hamilton police as a prostitute who had four convictions for solicitation.

Defense attorney David Brewer did not dispute that his client was guilty of murder, but said whatever happened in the alley before the shot was fired was consensual.

The prosecution pointed to the fact that Applegate was found nude in the alley and had saliva on her breast. They said the position of the gunshot wound was evidence Estrada-Lopez was on top of Applegate attempting to rape her when he got angry and fired the shot.

Before sentencing, Estrada-Lopez addressed the court through an interpreter offering an apology and claiming not to remember shooting Applegate.

"I just want to say I am sorry to the judge and to the victim's family," Estrada-Lopez said. "I was drunk, I don't know how it happened."

Defense attorney David Brewer told the judge the less severe sentence of 23 years to life would be most appropriate for his client, noting he has a minor criminal background in the United States and until the incident was a working to help support his girlfriend's family.

Alice Applegate, Gloria's aunt, did not accept Estrada-Lopez's apology, noting he showed no remorse during the trial or even a reaction to seeing crime scene photos of her niece's body.

"If he had not been caught, I don't know that Gloria would have been his last victim," Applegate said.

She said her niece "got on the bad side of life, but she didn't deserve to die. She left behind children who loved her, a family who loved her. I am begging you don't let him back out on the street."

After hearing the sentence of 33 years to life in prison, Applegate said "justice was done. I am glad it is over."


Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.



http://tinyurl.com/5ggupn

"
Defense attorney David Brewer told the judge the less severe sentence of 23 years to life would be most appropriate for his client, noting he has a minor criminal background in the United States and until the incident was a working to help support his girlfriend's family. "

How freakin' typical!
1) Blame the victim, who can't defend herself. Yea, she may have been a prostitute, but she didn't deserve to die
2) Minor criminal background... ANY criminal activity is too much especially since he wasn't supposed to be here!
3) Working ( yep, there's ANOTHER crime) to support a family. EXCUSE me , wasn't that what the victim was doing? How do these illegal lovin' lawyers sleep at night?

Originally Posted by nomas

"
Defense attorney David Brewer told the judge the less severe sentence of 23 years to life would be most appropriate for his client, noting he has a minor criminal background in the United States and until the incident was a working to help support his girlfriend's family. "

How freakin' typical!
1) Blame the victim, who can't defend herself. Yea, she may have been a prostitute, but she didn't deserve to die
2) Minor criminal background... ANY criminal activity is too much especially since he wasn't supposed to be here!
3) Working ( yep, there's ANOTHER crime) to support a family. EXCUSE me , wasn't that what the victim was doing? How do these illegal lovin' lawyers sleep at night?

I have no Idea how they sleep but i wish it would be with a plastic bag over their head!