Victim's family expresses pain

Convicted killer Mario F. Garcia was sentenced to a lengthy prison term in a packed Auburn courtroom Thursday after the victim's family expressed their anger, pain and loss.Garcia was convicted of first-degree murder for killing 27-year-old Christie Wilson and hiding her body. Judge Larry D. Gaddis ordered him to prison for 59 years Thursday.Stacie Wilson, the victim's younger sister, told the court in a prepared statement of the close relationship she had with her sister who she considered her "other half.""She was a part of me," Wilson said. "I've lost a part of my past, present and future."Other family members called Garcia a "lifelong predator" and they asked that he receive the maximum sentence and not have contact with his family until he reveals Wilson's whereabouts.Garcia was the last person seen with Wilson in the early morning hours of Oct. 5, 2005 leaving the Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln. DNA belonging to Wilson found in Garcia's white Toyota Camry linked him to her murder. He was arrested Oct. 14, 2005 and later charged with murder. A jury found him guilty in November of first degree murder. At the time jurors stated that it was unexplained scratches to Garcia's face coupled with the DNA evidence which led them to the guilty verdict.Garcia has maintained his innocence all along.Dennis Wilson, Christie Wilson's father, cried as he read his statement Thursday."I'll miss not walking her down the isle ... playing with my grandchildren," Dennis Wilson said. "That has been taken away from me because of your disregard for human life."Debbie Boyd, Christie's mother, said this was the hardest thing she's ever had to do."Twenty-nine years ago yesterday Christie was born," she said. "I held her in my arms and told her I loved her for the first time. Now I'm here."Pat Boyd, Wilson's step-father had choice words for Garcia who was in the courtroom sporting a mustache and wearing a prison-issued orange jumpsuit. He called Garcia a "sick human being" and an "animal.""I don't believe he will ever tell us where our daughter is," Pat Boyd said. "I have no doubt you'd kill again."Pat Boyd spoke directly to Garcia. The murderer never turned around, keeping his gaze at the front of the courtroom while Christie Wilson's family member spoke.When it was Garcia's turn to talk he said he was "innocent.""For the past 14 months I have ... fought the urge to speak out not because I was afraid but at the wishes of my attorneys," Garcia said. He thanked his family and attorneys for standing by him, and professed his innocence."For the last 23 years I've been a good father, husband and (soccer) coach," he said. He said he's lost everything including his house, retirement and job.It was at this point that his wife Jean Garcia, showed emotion in the courtroom. She dabbed a tissue at her eyes. She left the courtroom with her two teenage sons and declined to comment."I know in my heart ... I am not the person who harmed Christie Wilson. I am innocent," Garcia said. "I didn't kill Christie Wilson."Pat Boyd stood up at this point in the proceedings and turned his back to Garcia."I've said it many times to my attorney. I'll say it forever," Garcia said.He said he did not receive a fair and just trial and will file an appeal.His attorney, Ron Peters, said during the proceedings that his client has maintained his innocence since the first time he walked into his office. "On Oct. 11 (2005) he said 'I had nothing to do with her murder'," Peter said.It wasn't until Oct. 14 that Garcia was arrested. Official said that as of Oct. 11 they had no idea that Wilson was dead.More than 30 family and friend of the Wilson's packed the courtroom Thursday. One of them was Wendy Ward who said she was raped by Garcia on Jan. 12 1979 in Alameda County.At the time the Alameda County District Attorney's Office recommended that Garcia be charged with one count of kidnapping, two counts of forcible rape, one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of burglary. But when it was all said and done he pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.Judge Gaddis found "beyond a reasonable doubt" on Nov. 28, 2006 that Garcia's prior felony offense would count as a strike. It was that decision that made it possible for Garcia to receive a sentence of 50 rather than 25-years-to-life in prison for first-degree murder.Garcia's checkered past has been thrown into the limelight since his arrest for Wilson's murder.On Dec. 25, 1979 Garcia and his then-girlfriend Lynette Smith and her mother Violet Davis had gone to dinner in San Francisco and were headed home when the car they were in ended up in the Oakland Estuary.Smith and Davis drowned. Garcia survived. Garcia was never charged with a crime for the incident and law enforcement officials said they couldn't determine who was driving that fatal night.Smith and Davis' family members were in the courtroom Thursday for sentencing. They said they needed the closure. Marilyn Pfaller lost her sister and mother that day in December 1979. She flew in from Toledo, Ohio with her son Steven Pfaller. She prepared a statement that wasn't read in court, but taken into consideration by Judge Gaddis."Mario, only you and God know for sure what happened the night of Dec. 25, 1979..." she wrote. "I don't know if there's a life hereafter, but I don't know that if there is, my Mom and Lyn met Christie as she arrived and the three of them helped me write this statement."She went on to write that she hopes and prays that Garcia is never let out of prison."For me this is relief," Pfaller said outside the courtroom Thursday.Penne Usher can be reached at penneu@goldcountrymedia.com .