ELLSWORTH, Maine — The father of Hilary Saenz, the Ellsworth woman murdered on Christmas Day 2013 by her husband, said Friday after Christopher Saenz was sentenced to 47 years in prison for the crime that he hoped her death shed some light on the issue of domestic violence.
“We’ve got to be aware of it — neighbors, whatever, even family,” David Brown of Bowdoin said outside the Hancock County Courthouse. “I had no idea what my daughter went through. In the last 20 months, I have learned a lot. I was totally shocked during the trial with all the evidence that was presented, but 47 years, I’ll take it.”
Hilary Saenz, 29, was the victim of repeated domestic violence assaults at the hands of her husband, Superior Court Justice Ann Murray, who presided over Saenz’s jury-waived trial in May, said in imposing the sentence. She found that Saenz, 32, of Ellsworth had a history of assaultive behavior including a felony conviction in 2008 when his wife was the victim.
In the prior case, Saenz pleaded guilty to the Class C crime and was sentenced to a year in jail with all but 30 days suspended and two years of probation. His period of probation included substance abuse treatment and the completion of the batterers’ intervention program, Murray said Friday.
“Hilary Saenz’s death occurred in the context of a multiday argument during which Hilary Saenz sustained multiple traumas at the hand of the defendant,” Murray wrote last month in her verdict, which detailed the victim’s injuries, including 50 bruises. “Hilary Saenz was bruised, literally, from head to toe by the defendant.”
Murray found Saenz guilty of depraved indifference murder last month. She said Friday that she did not believe he intended to kill his wife, but did delay getting medical treatment for her in order to protect himself.
The judge rejected the defense’s argument that Hilary Saenz suffered from an undiagnosed seizure disorder. The judge accepted the theory of the crime put forward by the prosecution.
In sentencing Saenz, the judge said that Hilary Saenz “was the glue that held the family together.” Murray called her death “a senseless act.”
On Friday, Saenz emotionally apologized to his children, Alyana Saenz, 14, and Christopher Saenz Jr., 9, his in-laws, his parents and other family members. Saenz said his drug addiction caused him to become paranoid and suspect his wife of being unfaithful.
“I stand before you, your honor, a man full of remorse and shame,” Saenz told Murray. “I’m not the man I was 20 months ago [when arrested].”
He said that in December 2013, he was unemployed, not sleeping, losing weight and so addicted to drugs that he was always “chasing the next high.” He said his “thought process was so screwed up,” he became obsessed with finding out to whom the numbers on his wife’s phone belonged and believed she was cheating on him.
Saenz described his wife as “the most selfless, loving person I’ve ever known.”
“She always gave the kids 110 percent,” he told Murray. “With me she was almost a saint. She definitely was my better half.”
His daughter, who goes by the nickname Aly, tried to tell the judge how the loss of her mother has affected her life. The girl broke down in sobs, and after a short recess, Michelle Cram, the victim witness advocate for the Maine attorney general’s office, read the teenager’s statement for her.
“For most of my life, she really was the only person I ever went to,” she told the judge just before she broke down.
Saenz’s mother, Annamarie Whalen of Sorrento, sat behind her son during the 2½-hour sentencing hearing. She did not address Murray but became upset when the judge said she was sending Saenz to prison for 47 years. Whalen stormed out of the courtroom while Murray was speaking.
Assistant Attorney General Deb Cashman, who prosecuted the case with her colleague Lara Nomani, recommended a sentence of 60 years behind bars. Cashman told Murray that Saenz’s criminal history included three assaults — one of which was on his wife — and two drunken driving convictions.
The prosecutor also said that while awaiting trial at the Hancock County Jail, Saenz began a relationship with a female guard. Jail administrator Troy Richard confirmed that there was a relationship between Saenz and an employee in 2014 but “nothing inappropriate happened.” He also said the woman no longer works for the jail.
The defense team of Jeffrey Toothaker and Robert Van Horn, both of Ellsworth, urged the judge to impose the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years. Van Horn said after the sentencing that Saenz’s conviction would be appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Members of the Hilary Saenz family and her friends who attended the sentencing hugged each other outside the courthouse. Many told Murray her death had left a huge void in their lives.
When asked outside the courtroom how he wanted people to remember his daughter, Brown said: “She was a loving mother. She was a friend you’d want to have and a wonderful daughter. I pray to God nobody else has to go through this. If we all help out, we can make a difference.”
Saenz had been held without bail since his arrest Dec. 27, 2013.
He faced between 25 years to life in prison.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
BDN writer Ryan McLaughlin contributed to this report.