AUSTIN -- A Travis County jury has sentenced George De la Cruz to life in prison for the murder of his estranged wife, Julie Ann Gonzalez.
The jury began deliberations about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, after both Gonzalez and De la Cruz's family members took the stand offering personal insight about their loved ones.
Each prosecutor and defense attorney had 25 minutes to present their closing arguments to the jury.
The state argued De la Cruz was a thief who lied to everyone around him, and that the pre-meditation that went into Gonzalez's death should be enough to give him a long sentence.
De la Cruz's attorney argued he is a young man, and while he does not dispute the jury's conviction, he asks for mercy for his client
Before closing statements, the first to take the stand was Gonzalez's mom, Sandra Soto, and then her Aunt Dora Soto-Derma. She told the jury that De la Cruz's actions were "disgusting" because he still has no idea what he took from her family. She said her daughter won't have her mom to help pick out her prom dress, or be by her side on her wedding day.
The defense team called De la Cruz's mom, Victoria. She testified that he was her "angel" and he worked to help support the family especially after her divorce when he was 18. She also testified that he had no mental issues.
The jury came back with a decision in less than one hour. He showed no reaction to his sentence but many in the courtroom break down in tears. As he was escorted away his family yelled out after him.
"We love you George! We love you!" they said.
That's when both sides of the room erupted in emotion.
"Amen! I''m glad it's over," yelled another family member.
De la Cruz's family still refuses to believe he killed her.
"Why give up if there's no body!" called out one woman in tears.
Deputies asked them to leave but in the hallway his mother, Victoria De la Cruz, did not hold back.
"Don't stop looking for your daughter! Look everywhere because she's somewhere! She's not only here, look everywhere everywhere! She's alive!" she yelled.
Prosecutors said De la Cruz murdered his estranged wife and staged her disappearance. No one has seen her since March 26, 2010.
"Just to know that he's not going to have any freedom is a comfort," said Sandra Soto, Gonzalez's mother.
Soto said, as always, her focus is on her daughter.
"So in my prayers tonight she will come to me and, hopefully, she will tell me 'Mom, I'm OK,'" Soto said.
Soto said her family still wants answers but with De la Cruz behind bars they believe justice has been done.
"I love this quote, 'Just keep living.' That's what we do. We just keep living and it's one day at a time," Soto said.
De la Cruz is eligible for parole after serving 30 years of his life sentence.
