Jurors at both trials found that Pollina and Valva "acted in concert" to cause Thomas' death. Kelly, speaking in court, outlined Pollina’s conduct in grim detail.Įvidence presented at both trials, including text messages between the pair, depicted Pollina as the driving force behind the punishment. “It’s actually sickening that there are people like that on this Earth. “It’s absolutely brutal what happened in this case,” said Nicholas Pisano. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, speaking alongside some of the boys’ teachers after the sentencing, confirmed that a grand jury is investigating the case with an eye toward potential reforms. “He stared down the faces of evil he endured each day, the faces of his own father, and this defendant, who was a mother figure in his life for the two years prior to his death.” “In my own humble opinion, Thomas was a profile of courage,” said Kelly, who then paused to compose herself. 17, 2020.īut lead prosecutor Kerriann Kelly, who became emotional at one point, argued for the maximum, pointing out that Pollina didn’t show remorse in her interview with probation officials. In the days leading up to her sentencing, Tuohy said his client was "upset" and "bewildered" at her conviction, saying she maintains her innocence.Ī photograph of 8-year-old Thomas Valva the day before he died on Jan. “Obviously she has tremendous remorse for what happened to Thomas and Anthony,” said Tuohy, who said Pollina had asked him to express that sentiment to the court. He insisted also his client had been a good mother to her three daughters. Tuohy asked the judge for clemency, saying his client "had lived a good life" and had committed no crimes before meeting Valva. Tuohy requested the judge sentence his client to the minimum of 15 years to life, arguing, as he had during the trial, it was Valva who killed his son. “Never once, have you ever showed any sorrow or compassion for what happened to those little boys,” Mazzei told Pollina. Pollina's defense attorney, Matthew Tuohy, said Pollina is filing a notice of appeal. ![]() Mazzei also sentenced Pollina to one year each for the child endangerment charges, which will be served concurrent to the murder sentence. And evil’s not the word that I came up with, that’s that word that you came up with to describe yourself, to describe the treatment of what you did to those poor little innocent boys. “But it wasn’t until I heard and saw what you said and did, in this trial, that I think we all realized how evil you really are, and really were. “Like most people in this county, I was aware of this case from the trial of that spineless, poor excuse of a man, ex-fiance of yours,” Mazzei said Tuesday, referring to Valva. He was also sentenced to the maximum penalty. ![]() The boys’ father, an ex-NYPD officer, was convicted last year during a separate trial on the same charges. Soft crying could be heard from the crowd during the proceeding and several people clapped when the judge announced the sentence.īy clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.Ī Suffolk jury on March 10 found Pollina, 45, guilty of second-degree murder as well as four counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the abuse of Thomas and Anthony, for forcing the boys to sleep in a freezing garage and starving and beating them. Some of the jurors who convicted Pollina were among those inside the Riverhead courtroom as Pollina was sentenced, as well as Thomas’ and Anthony’s schoolteachers. Mazzei delivered the comments before he sentenced a seemingly unemotional Pollina, who declined her chance to speak publicly, in a courtroom packed with onlookers.
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