A woman was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for killing a 75-year-old Pasadena resident who was the former foster mother to two of her children, authorities said.
A jury on Nov. 1 found 46-year-old Mary Jean O’Connor guilty of first-degree murder.
She didn’t speak at her sentencing Thursday, according to Deputy District Attorney Ryan Erlich, who said: “Anyone who is involved in the case or heard about the case can agree it is incomprehensibly tragic.”
O’Connor’s lawyer couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
O’Connor’s five children were taken from her by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, police said. Jeri Douglas had been the foster mother of the two oldest children, a boy in 2010 and a girl in 2011, Erlich said in an earlier interview. The boy later was adopted by one of Douglas’ daughters and O’Connor’s parents got custody of the girl, he added
While only two of the children were placed with Douglas, O’Connor blamed her for the loss of all the children, Pasadena Police Lt. Keith Gomez said.
Posing as an employee with the Department of Children and Family Services, she called the son-in-law on Dec. 14, 2018, got Douglas’ phone number then called her next, the prosecutor said.
She told Douglas she was new to the case and had paperwork related to the son’s adoption she needed her to sign, he said, adding O’Connor convinced Douglas to meet at the victim’s condominium in the 200 block of South Madison Avenue on Dec. 17, 2018.
O’Connor showed up at the condo, used a Taser but the prongs did not connect, Erlich said. She strangled Douglas ,then left. A Taser cartridge was found at the scene.
The Taser wasn’t recovered but an empty Taser box was later found in a car associated with O’Connor, he said.
Police found evidence O’Connor bought the Taser, Lt. Gomez said.
Douglas’ daughters called police when they couldn’t contact her on Dec. 17, 2018. Officers…
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