A Miramar man who was convicted in the murder of his estranged wife who disappeared more than five years ago had his sentencing delayed Thursday.
Cid Torrez, 43, faces 30 years to life in prison after he was found guilty in July of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Vilet.
Torrez took the stand at Thursday's sentencing hearing and denied he killed his wife.
"I plead for mercy," he said. "I have not committed that crime, that heinous crime."
The hearing also took a bizarre turn when Torrez spoke for several minutes about a "witchhunt" and mentioned the "commander in chief."
The hearing was stopped and Torrez was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation. A new sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23.
During the hearing, multiple family members made statements, including Torrez' daughter, who had strong words for her father.
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"I hope you get the maximum sentence possible. I hope you do so you can spend the rest of your time eating from your four different menus and having the same meals every Thursday," she said. "And you can realize how hard it is to be all alone, just like how I've been for the past five years without a mother."
Five years ago, the Miramar couple's marriage was on the rocks when police believe she vanished in the early hours of March 31, 2012. Her body was never found.
Prosecutors presented evidence that cadaver dogs led investigators to 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.
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.
