On Nov. 16, 2012, a 41-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her foster daughter. Her husband, it was later determined, convinced the foster teen to commit the murder so he could get her life insurance payout.
The husband was eventually convicted of conspiracy and complicity to murder and was sentenced to life in prison, although he will be eligible for parole in 42 years. The foster teen pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and will spend 30 years to life behind bars.
The victim’s two daughters saw the murder happen. A wrongful death lawsuit against the husband and the foster teen was filed in 2013. The judge recently ruled in the case, with $5 million of the judgment coming from the foster teen and $1.2 million coming from the husband.
The attorney for the two daughters said, “There is no medical formula to quantify the loss of your mother — especially when you had to see it happen.”
The husband bought a home with the insurance money, and another lawsuit has been filed to recover that house. Many other assets belonging to the husband have been sold to satisfy some of the judgment. The daughters’ attorney said, “The assets themselves are not sufficient to satisfy the enormity of the award.”
If you have lost a loved one as the result of someone else’s intentional act or unintentional negligence, you may be able to seek a monetary award. There are specific elements that must be met in order to have a successful wrongful death case. An attorney can help you learn more about your legal options.
Source: The News-Herald, “Daughters of Willoughby Hills woman who was killed awarded $6.2 million in damages,” Tracey Read, Feb. 08, 2017
