Apr 3, 2008 11:29 pm US/Eastern
Nixzmary's Stepdad Gets Up To 29 Years In Prison
Sentenced In Torture, Death Of 7-Year-Old Brooklyn Girl
Reporting
Lou Young
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Nixzmary Brown was found dead on Jan. 11, 2006 inside her Brooklyn apartment.
AP
The man convicted of killing Nixzmary Brown learned his punishment on Thursday. Cesar Rodriguez was sentenced to the maximum for killing his 7-year-old stepdaughter.
The little girl's death shocked New York City and led to changes in children's services. CBS 2 HD was inside the courtroom when the sentenced was announced.
Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Ama Dwimoh was all smiles Thursday after she got what she asked for -- the maximum sentence for Cesar Rodriguez following his manslaughter conviction in his stepdaughter's horrific death,
Rodriguez, who will serve 26 1/3 to 29 years in prison for his crime, addressed the court at around 4 p.m., expressing remorse and asking for leniency.
"I'm just sorry for causing everyone emotional pain, distorting the memories of a child," he said. "I will do the sentence the court decides. I'm not mad at anybody. If I get enough life to show the court how you did me, I wish to do that.
The prosecutor told CBS 2 HD she wasn't impressed.
"Well, you were in the courtroom as well, right?" Dwimoh said. "I think what he was saying that he didn't do it. And he loved Nixzmary. He hopes God gives him a second chance.
There were people in the crowd who knew the 7-year-old girl, know her siblings and are grateful for what the judge did.
"He's behind bars. He's going to pay for what he did," child advocate Awilda Cordero said. "And his remarks saying that he's sorry … I'm sorry, I don't think he's sorry. During the whole trial he saw pictures. He never glanced, he never did a tear. Nothing about any sorryness about him."
The defense says it will appeal, claiming Rodriguez was the victim of emotion and prejudice.
"We compare this to a lynching like in an old cowboy movie," lawyer Jeff Schwartz said. "And at this point the public, like in a lynching, feels satisfied with the result. And everyone is all happy about it, feels good about it, but just like in the movies we're confident that people are going to go home and reflect upon this. They are going to think upon this and then realize that the proceeding was tainted and was not fair."
There are questions being raised by one of the jurors in a sealed affidavit about the proceedings and deliberations, and also questions about the level of blame the mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, deserves for Nixzmary's death. Documents that allege she tried to pin the whole thing on her husband were introduced late in the trial. That is the basis of the appeal.
Santiago will be tried separately. Rodriguez will be on his way to an upstate prison soon.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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