Elyeisar gets 22 months, Igitol’s family distraught

“Is that what you call justice?” cried a distraught Alice Igitol, mother of domestic violence victim Vickyann Maratita Igitol, shortly after the court imposed yesterday a 22-month jail term on defendant Akilino P. Elyeisar.

“You commit murder and get only 22 months in jail! We’re disgusted!” said Alice Igitol as her teary husband, Victorino Igitol, tried to comfort her.

Before rendering the sentence, Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Naraja explained that, in this case, the prosecution and the defendant reached a plea agreement.

In accepting the plea agreement, Naraja said Elyeisar is sentenced to 22 months in prison with credit for the time he has already spent in jail since May 18, 2004.

The judge said that after serving his prison term, the defendant would be placed on 38 months of supervised probation.

During the probationary period, Elyeisar will be required to attend counseling at the Community Guidance Center and perform 100 hours of community work service.

The judge also ordered the defendant to stay away from the victim’s family during his probation.

Elyeisar shall pay $200 in court assessment and probation fees, Naraja said.

The plea agreement also mentioned that after completing the sentence, the government would commence deportation proceeding against the defendant.

At the hearing, Elyeisar admitted in court that he pushed Vickyann Igitol and that he was sorry for it.

Maria Igitol, who was in tears, described to the court how her sister suffered a slow death.

“I don’t need to close my eyes to see her face [at that time],” Maria Igitol said, asking the judge to be fair and just in rendering the sentence. “We as a family are not complete without her. We are at lost,” she added.

The judge then allowed Victorino Igitol to speak. Mr. Igitol spoke briefly in Chamorro.

Naraja then announced the sentence.

After Naraja adjourned the proceeding, at least four correction officers who stayed behind the defense table took Elyeisar to the exit room leading to the back of the Judicial Complex.

Elyeisar was also in tears, but he remained silent.

Only a few stood up, including assistant public defender Douglas Hartig, who slowly left the courtroom.

Alice Igitol and some family members started crying. Former Chief Prosecutor Jeffrey Moots stayed in his chair.

“We know in our heart that our Lord is not sleeping,” Alice Igitol said as she walked out of the courtroom, slamming the doors and crying loudly. Family members followed her and gave her comfort.

“She was taken from us, not [through a] natural death but a violent death. Crazy prosecutor,” she said.

Moots emerged from the court after more than an hour, when all the victim’s family members and relatives had already left the Judicial Complex.

When asked by the Saipan Tribune if wants to say something, Moots said he would rather not comment.

“They’re all mad at me,” he said.

Court records show that police responded to a residence in Kagman on May 13, 2004, based on a call of a neighbor who suspected a domestic violence incident.

But Vickyann Igitol told responding police she just fell from a stool while she was trying to reach something from the top of their cabinet.

A few days later, however, Vickyann Igitol reportedly confided to her father what really happened. The victim, whose body had been paralyzed from the neck down, died of complications a few weeks later. The autopsy ruled that the victim’s death was a homicide and not due to an accident from a fall.