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September 24, 2009 8:48 PM
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, The Brownsville Herald
Hours after a Cameron County jury found a Harlingen man guilty of murdering his ex-wife, they continued to deliberate his sentence.
The jury deliberated for about six hours Wednesday and Thursday before finding Pascual de la Rosa, 41, guilty in the August 2008 stabbing death of Norma de la Rosa, 38. Jurors were scheduled to resume deliberations today.
The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office is asking that Pascual de la Rosa be sentenced to no less than 75 years in prison. The defense requested the jury look at the range of punishment and assess what jurors think is best.
Pascual de la Rosa showed no emotion as state District Judge David Sanchez read the jury’s decision finding him guilty of murder. However, as the attorneys began the punishment phase of de la Rosa‘s murder trial, he was visibly shaken, wiping away tears.
Authorities said Pascual de la Rosa stabbed his ex-wife multiple times outside a friend’s house at 3505 W. Bowie Ave. in rural Cameron County.
The two had been arguing prior to the deadly attack.
Neighbors, before the trial, described Pascual de la Rosa as a "harmless drunk" and said his actions were out of character.
Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio previously said a witness described how he saw Pascual de la Rosa stab Norma de la Rosa multiple times outside the home.
Norma de la Rosa, who authorities said was partially blind, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pascual de la Rosa was apprehended in a wooded area, soon after the killing.
On Thursday defense attorney Peter Gilman said Pascual de la Rosa killed his ex-wife in "sudden passion," after learning that a family member had been sexually assaulted by a man living with Norma de la Rosa and that she did nothing about it.
"Norma was playing with his heart and mind. She didn’t handle this situation very well," Gilman said.
"Something exploded in him (Pascual de la Rosa) to do this act, that is sudden passion," Gilman said. "This was someone he cared for very fondly."
A pathologist on Wednesday testified that Norma de la Rosa had been stabbed 19 times and that many of the stab wounds were in her upper-chest area.
According to court testimony, she was stabbed in the face, her chest and in the back of her head. She also had three defense wounds to her arms and hands.
State prosecutor Ismael Hinojosa described Pascual de la Rosa as a "coward and a cold-blooded killer," who wasn’t concerned about his relative’s rape.
Hinojosa said Pascual de la Rosa was told about the rape three to four months prior to killing his ex-wife, which indicates that murdering her was not a crime of passion.
"What did she do to deserve this?"Hinojosa asked. "There is no good way to die. Can you think of any way worse than to watch yourself bleed to death?"
"There is no excuse for murder. This was cold and calculated, not sudden passion," Hinojosa said.
Testifying Thursday was Norma de la Rosa’s daughter, who said the last words her mother told her were to take care of the other children and tell her parents that she loved them.
"She was a really good mom. She was my hero," Linda Lee de la Rosa said.
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