Broward County

Broward man accused of murdering pregnant wife and her father gets 3 life sentences

Cassandritz Blanc, now 27, pleaded guilty to 2018 murders of wife Martine Bernard and father-in-law Roosevelt Bernard

NBC Universal, Inc.

A Broward man who pleaded guilty to killing his pregnant wife and her father more than five years ago was given three life sentences Wednesday.

A sentencing hearing was held for 27-year-old Cassandritz Blanc, who pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in the shooting deaths of his pregnant wife, who was six months along, and his father-in-law, in June of 2018.

The life in prison sentences come with no chance for parole.

Before the sentence was handed down, Blanc apologized to the family for what he had done.

Hollywood Police said Blanc killed his wife, 20-year-old Martine Bernard, and hid her body for days before putting it in a trash can near their Fort Lauderdale home.

Prosecutors said Blanc also shot and killed his father-in-law, 68-year-old Roosevelt Bernard, then burned and dumped his body in a field in Hollywood.

The case against Blanc had been headed to trial until Blanc changed his plea to guilty on Tuesday. He could have faced a death sentence had he been found guilty at trial.

"I would say I feel relieved that the situation is over," said Roosevelt Bernard Jr., the son and brother of the victims. "I didn’t know what to expect today, but the way it played out and how justice was served, I think we can finally have a sense of peace."

Contact Us