What to Know
- Cid Torrez had been facing 30 years to life in prison after he was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Vilet
- Police say the couple's marriage was on the rocks when Vilet Torrez vanished in the early hours of March 31, 2012
- Her body was never found but prosecutors believe he dumped her body in the Everglades
A Miramar man who was convicted in the murder of his estranged wife after she disappeared nearly six years ago was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday.
Cid Torrez, 44, had been facing 30 years to life in prison after he was found guilty last July of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Vilet.
A judge handed down the life sentence at a hearing Tuesday afternoon. Torrez's attorney, Richard Della Fera, said he plans to appeal.
"We're extremely disappointed with the sentence however this is not the end of the road for Mr. Torrez," Della Fera told reporters after the hearing.
Torrez had been set for sentencing in October but he went on a bizarre rant about the president and a witch hunt, and was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.
Della Fera said Torrez reported hearing voices while in jail and suffers from a mental health disorder known as paranoid delusional disorder, which was brought on by severe depression. The judge decided not to lessen the sentence despite the mental health claims, Della Fera said.
"We had proven that he suffers from a mental health disorder for which there is treatment. What she said was she was declining to exercise her discretion and mitigate the sentence even in light of the fact that we had shown that he suffers from mental health and is amenable to treatment," Della Fera said.
Police say the couple's marriage was on the rocks when Vilet Torrez vanished in the early hours of March 31, 2012. Her body was never found.
Prosecutors presented evidence that cadaver dogs led investigators to Cid Torrez's house and the trunk of his Jaguar, which they believe he used to dump Vilet's body in the Everglades. Traces of blood were also found on a towel in the home, prosecutors said.
Local
Prosecutors also presented evidence that Torrez was tracking Vilet with spy software on her cellphone. They cited Sunpass records, surveillance footage and his own daughter's testimony to support their theory that he murdered her.
Torrez, who has been jailed since his arrest in 2012, will be transferred to a state prison where he'll spend the rest of his life.
