Fla. teen gets life for duo's torturePosted on Thu, Apr. 12, 2007
(AP) -- A pregnant 18-year-old woman who helped kill a man and his nephew was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday.
A jury convicted Ashley Toye on March 29 on two counts each of first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of tampering with evidence.
Lee County Circuit Judge Thomas Reese ordered Toye to concurrently serve both mandatory life sentences for felony first-degree murder and a combined 90-year sentence on the other charges.
Jeffrey, 14, and his 18-year-old uncle, Alexis Sosa, of Cape Coral, were invited to a birthday party for Toye's boyfriend on Oct. 6. They were found the next day in an industrial park after being beaten, tortured, shot and burned in and near their car.
Toye carved an asterisk into one victim's back, acquired the shoelaces used to tie both victims and cleaned up their blood afterward, according to testimony.
''They [the sentences] are appropriate for the terrible crimes you participated in and helped commit,'' the judge said.
Toye's attorney, John Mills, said his client never pulled a trigger and he planned to file an appeal, according to The Daily Breeze in Cape Coral.
Alexis Sosa's brother, Michael Sosa, said justice has been served.
''She deserved what she got,'' he said.
"Now she feels how it feels to murder somebody and to take somebody's life away. We're not bringing our family members back, but at least we're getting justice.''
Seven others are charged with first-degree murder for the slayings and have cases pending.
Another, Melissa Rivera, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, in exchange for her testifying against the others.
Authorities say all nine defendants were present when the relatives were killed and were affiliated with the same street gang.
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