This is the letter from Mrs. Ortega:
Your honor: today is the day that we beg of the court to rectify the judicial errors and
Leniencies that have been given to this criminal in the past. It is time for your honor to do
The right thing and sentence this violent criminal to live the rest of his natural life in
Prison, so that we, the victims, are able to recover and go on with our lives without
having to relive this horrible, senseless crime. We the victims of this case, do not want
this violent criminal to ever set foot in society again.
As for you, Jason Anthony Warren, it is time for you to answer for what you have
Done. You have taken two beautiful women from this world and caused permanent
Physical, mental and emotional damage to two others. Your actions of selfishness, and
Total disregard for human life, put a permanent scar on the lives of so many. You have
left sons and a daughter without mothers. You have left aging parents without daughters.
You have left grand children without a Grandmother. You have left husbands without
Wives. You have left hundreds of family members and friends without the beautiful
Smiles that brightened their days. Your sentence should be the most severe ever because
You caused the most severe sentence, DEATH for your victims. And the most severe ever
LIFETIME sentence of pain and suffering, WAY more unbearable suffering and pain
than your solitary confinement, for the families and loved ones of the victims whose lives
you extinguished. You need to think while you are serving the rest of your natural life in
prison about, was I humane in the handling of my victims? Was it humane to send my
victims to the ground? Was it humane to sentence the victims’ family, friends and
generations to LIFETIMES of solitary pain for the loss of their loved ones?
You may have had the power for a few hours but ultimately we the people will have the
Power over you for the rest of your life. We hope you have many years to sit in prison
And think what you have done. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. Some
Say justice has been served, but for those of us left behind, justice would only be
Served if it was your life, not theirs, that was ended. The one thing you cannot take away
are all of the wonderful memories we have of Suzanne and Dorothy. They will live on in
all of our hearts forever. You, Jason Anthony Warren, will be forgotten and left to rot
away in a cell at a California state prison for the rest of your pitiful life. May the Devil
have mercy on your soul!!!
We pray that justice will be served for ALL of us today.
Thank-you
Victim impact statements were made by Hank Seemann, husband of Suzanne Seemann; Terri Vroman-Little and Maria Ulrich, Dorothy Ulrich's sister-in-law. Victim Witness Advocate Holly Hensher read a letter from Suzanne Seemann's parents Bill and Wendy Wetzel. The three main themes in each victim impact statement were the devastating loss suffered by family, friends and community; their desire to see Warren in prison for lifetime so that he does not hurt anyone else and his lack of remorse.
"Suzie was my beloved," said Hank Seemann. "We had been together for 18 years, married for 12 years. The best way for me to convey the effects of this crime is to tell you of the splendor of Suzie's life." Suzanne and Hank's children were 8 years and 4 years old when they learned of their mother's tragic death. Hank's decision as well as Suzanne Seemann's parents' letter gave those of us in the audience who did not know Suzanne Seemann a glimpse into the amazing woman her family, friends and community lost.
Terri had to compose herself before she could read, she cried as she read her statement. "I lived but very few aspects of my life are the same as when I began that run with my friends." Particularly poignant was the part where Terri spoke of the guilt survivors of a tragedy feel.There is no way I could do justice to the pages she read in court except to highlight some statements but it is printed in it's entirety. Terri was kind enough to share it with those of us covering court this morning.
"A parent's worst nightmare " is how the letter by Suzanne Seemann's parents started. "Aghast" was their reaction to getting a call from Hank about their daughter's death. "Senseless. An intentional act by a total stranger."
Maria Ulrich spoke of the moment her life and her family's lives changed forever. "The day I opened the door to find Dorothy slaughtered on the floor."
"As a young prosecutor, I have always felt sentencing was symbolic of the triumph of good over evil," said Mr. Sequeira. "I realized after decades, that nothing we do today, nothing that the Court can do will make this right. This story will be handed down to four family generations. They will ask the same question we asked at the beginning of this case, why? We will never know why."
"Today is a tough day for all of us as we are confronted with the visceral pain of all the victims of all the victims," said Mr. Sequeira. "It is not a good day. I obviously don't live and practice law in Humboldt. I was brought here. The first time I drove here was 40 years ago. I have never seen anything like this place, the natural rugged beauty. Crimes like this are not supposed to happen in places like this. Random brutality like this damages the psyche of an entire community. Today is judgement day. He has forfeited his right to be free."
Jason Warren's attorney, Mr. Glenn Brown said he agreed with Mr. Sequeira. "This proceeding is a poor substitute for the tragedy the people have suffered in this case."
great job John!
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