3 decades is not enough for Marcia VanCreveld.
“Naturally...I was disappointed,” she says.
A judge decided against a life sentence, instead giving Donna Horwitz 32 years in prison.
Back in June, Donna Horwitz was convicted of 2nd degree murder in the death of her ex-husband Lanny in 2011.
It was her second trial in 4 years, after her previous conviction and life sentence was tossed out in 2016
Over the course of two trials, the defense tried to pin the murder on her son, Radley.
“Everybody knows that I didn't do it, from the the first time, from the gunshot residue test that morning,” he says.
Radley says he feels sympathy for his mother.
“Nobody walks out of court happy. I still can't help but feel a little bad for my mom.”
Before the sentence was handed down Thursday, VanCreveld let her ex-sister in law know exactly how she felt.
“My brother was murdered like Caesar. Surrounded by his enemies. His ex wife and his son,” she told the courtroom.
VanCreveld pleaded for another life sentence
“I wish Donna a very healthy, long...very long… life behind bars.”
The judge, however, says the jury's decision was crucial to her abandoning the life sentence.
“They returned a verdict of second degree murder, so I do not think it's appropriate for me to ignore that,” Judge Krista Marx said.
VanCreveld says her insistence on a life sentence was for good reason.
“I want to be sure she's not let back in society,” she says.
Prosecutors say with Horwitz being 71-years-old, the judge's sentence may ensure that.
Horwitz will only serve 26 years of her 32 year sentence.
She was credited for the 6 years she’s already spent in jail.
An appeal by Horwitz’s attorneys is expected in the case.
EARLIER STORY
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A judge on Thursday sentenced a Palm Beach County woman for killing her ex-husband in 2011.
Donna Horwitz, who was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Lanny Horwitz, was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Lanny Horwitz was shot multiple times in September 2011 in the couple's Admiral's Cove home.
During her retrial, the defense tried to paint son Radley Horwitz as the murderer.
"What else were they going to do. I said the first time around only two of us walked out of the house alive. My grandmother was out in the guest house," he said after her retrial.
Radley said he was tired of his mother blaming him for his father's death.
At her sentencing hearing, the defense asked the judge for a 25-year sentence while the state argued for life in prison.
NewsChannel 5's Tania Rogers contributed to this report.
