A Chelsea, Massachusetts, man who pleaded guilty to stabbing his estranged wife to death in an apartment in 2021 was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison Friday.
Mario Mira, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, admitting to killing Paula Andrea Ortiz, who was 47, in an apartment on Stockton Street on Dec. 11, 2021, prosecutors said.
Ortiz was found dead having been stabbed and slashed more than 40 times, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Mira was also found injured in the apartment and rushed to the hospital for surgery. Prosecutors said his injuries were self-inflicted.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
Mira was sentenced to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 25 years.
Ortiz Ramirez's relatives, including the couple's 17-year-old daughter, gave victim impact statements.
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“It’s been almost 3 years of constant panic attacks, PTSD, nightmares, depression, days of not getting out of bed, days where I’m mad at the world and wonder who to blame. I’ve never really felt okay but I forced myself to find peace," Maria Paz Ortiz said. "I had no other option, I’m still angry at my dad, but I don’t hate him. But now I have to explain to my kids why grandpa and grandma aren’t with us, I have to retell my story thousands of times. I still have so many questions, but they will probably go unanswered. I do wish my dad had thought about us, but I guess these are things anger can do to you."
Resources for victims of domestic or sexual violence are available through SafeLink, a statewide hotline, which can be reached at 877-785-2020. Help is available in multiple languages.
