Pittsburgh woman Laura Ramirez is jailed for life for torturing three-year-old stepdaughter to death because youngster was result of her dad’s affair
A Pittsburgh woman has been sentenced to life in prison for torturing her three-year-old stepdaughter to death.
Bella Seachrist died in June 2020 after being starved and physically abused by her stepmother Laura Ramirez.
The young girl was found “unconscious” in the bathtub of a home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania and weighed less than 30 pounds when she died.
Ramirez, 31, was found guilty in July of first-degree murder along with other charges including aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful restraint and conspiracy to commit murder.
She was sentenced Wednesday to life without parole, with an additional 37 to 74 years.
Laura Ramirez, of Pittsburgh, has been sentenced to life in prison for torturing her three-year-old stepdaughter to death
Bella Seachrist died in June 2020 after being starved and physically abused by her stepmother for being born as a result of her father’s affair
In May, Bella’s father Jose Eduardo Salazar-Ortiz was convicted of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy to commit murder.
The 32-year-old was sentenced to 33 to 66 years in prison.
Ramirez’s sister Alexis Herrera, 23, is accused of participating in Bella’s assault and will stand trial in January.
She had videos and photos of Bella’s severe assault on her cell phone.
Bella was found “unresponsive” in the bathtub on June 9, 2020.
“When officers and paramedics arrived, they discovered that the child appeared to be severely bruised and malnourished,” according to a statement from the Allegheny County Police Department.
“Officers and medics performed life-saving measures and transported the child to an area hospital where the child was pronounced deceased.”
In May, Bella’s father Jose Eduardo Salazar-Ortiz was convicted of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy to commit murder.
Ramirez’s sister Alexis Herrera, 23, has been accused of participating in Bella’s abuse and will stand trial in January
The little girl was starved to death by her relatives, leaving her so emaciated that her bones could be seen through her skin, according to authorities.
Her hair was patchy and also falling out because she was so malnourished.
She died of malnutrition, stunted growth due to chronic diseases and hypoglycemia, plus abuse and neglect.
Investigators said Bella was beaten, sexually assaulted, bound, gagged and placed in small, dark closets.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever really seen a level of malice that isn’t just committed here,” Judge Bruce Beemer said during Ramirez’s sentencing.
“There was no other possible outcome, based on what happened day after day, week after week, month after month, than that she would die in one of the most gruesome ways.”
“The pain, the hunger – I can’t imagine a worse fate for that child than the fate she suffered at your hands in that house in Oakmont,” he told Ramirez.
Bella’s mother Nicole previously said she sent her daughter to live with her father and Ramirez because she was going through a hard time.
She found it difficult to raise money for diapers, so she thought it would be better for Bella to live with Salazar-Ortiz and Ramirez.
Nicole believes her daughter was targeted by her stepmother because she was born as a result of an affair.
“She just did it out of spite, because number one, that’s not her baby. And number two, he had an affair,” she said.
‘I’m disgusted, I’m angry. I will never hear my daughter called Mom. I’ll never see her graduate. I’ll never see her go to college. I’ll never see her get married.’