Javier Da Silva Sentenced To 30 Years For Kidnapping Valerie Reyes, Leaving Her To Die In A Suitcase By The Side Of The Road
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A 30-year prison sentence was given Thursday to the man who killed Valerie Reyes, the New Rochelle woman who disappeared from her home more than two and a half years ago.
The judge called Javier da Silva "evil" and his crime "sickening," CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
Norma Sanchez left U.S. District Court in White Plains after an emotional courtroom confrontation. She was crying as she described her beautiful daughter as someone who brought joy to those who knew her.
And she directly addressed the man who killed her, telling Da Silva he was "a worthless soul," and adding, "You deserve nothing but pain and rejection."
Reyes vanished in January 2019. After a week of anguish, her body was found in a suitcase dumped in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Da Silva, who was briefly her boyfriend, had taped her mouth and bound her hands, leaving her to die.
He then raided her bank account, and stole her iPad and traded it for electronics he showed off with in a picture.
Da Silva lied to investigators, claiming he panicked after Reyes fell, before admitting guilt last year to a federal crime -- causing death during a kidnapping -- as part of a plea agreement.
In court, Da Silva looked different than in prior pictures. His hair was cut and his beard was shaved. Even with a mask on, you could tell he was sobbing throughout the sentencing.
Da Silva is a Venezuelan national who was in the U.S. illegally. He said in Spanish, "I will never forgive myself. I cannot ask (Reyes' family) to forgive me."
The defense team submitted letters and photos to show Da Silva had good qualities at odds with his terrible crime, but Judge Vincent Briccetti didn't buy it, saying, "This is not a good person. This is an evil person."
Under the federal system there is no parole. Da Silva will be well into his 50s before he's released from prison.