Dale Hausner
Live from the courtroom: Family members of some of the people murdered by serial killer Dale Hausner gave teary-eyed and emotional statements in court this morning, just hours before jurors will be asked to decide whether the Phoenix-area man should pay the ultimate price for his crimes.
The mother of victim David Estrada and the sister of victim Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz stood before the jury and spoke in-depth about the pain they’ve experienced since their loved ones were murdered.
“His life was cut so suddenly and so cruelly,” said Rebecca Estrada, whose son was killed in June 2005 at age 20. “And I just can’t tell you the devastation and the emptiness that we all feel without David.”
Estrada told stories about her son’s childhood and the night he died. When David was a young boy, she said he talked fondly about growing old, settling down with a wife and naming his own sons after himself. “My point in the story is that David will never have a David 1 and David 2,” she said. “He will never have a wife.”
Adriana Gutierrez followed later, telling about how she became consumed with sorrow after her younger sister’s murder at age 21 in May 2006. The two of them had moved to the Valley from Mexico and were living together when the killing took place. “From that moment, I felt like my world had come to a halt,” Gutierrez said in Spanish, her words translated to English later for the jury. “I hurt so much that I didn’t know how to give my parents the news.”
Throughout her statement, Gutierrez choked up and paused, apologizing to the jury jury for her tears. Then she closed by apologizing to her sister. “If you can hear me, please forgive me for not being able to protect you,” she said. “I will always love you and you will always be in my heart.”
Prosecutor Laura Reckart also read a statement from the family of Robin Blasnek, the final victim in the killing spree. Blasnek, 22, was gunned down in July 2006 while walking to a friend’s house in Mesa. Her family’s statement included her life’s story, including her struggles with growing up having a learning disability. Despite her affliction, Blasnek helped care for others with developmental disorders.
As Reckart read the statement, Hausner could be seen at the defense table with his head down and his hands over his ears. Eventually, he turned his legal team and whispered to them, still not paying attention to the statement.
“The circumstances of Robin’s death tells us how wicked our world can be,” the family’s statement said. “She did not deserve this.”
The jury is expected to begin deliberating Hausner’s penalty this afternoon.