|
|
|
Mark H. Ralstin appeared in Kiowa County Court on Wednesday morning for sentencing on his July 21, 2011 second-degree murder conviction. Ralstin was convicted by a jury of his peers for the intentional murder of his wife Bobbie Jo Ralstin on Nov. 6, 2009.
Ralstin showed no emotion as Judge Daniel Love first denied defense attorney Sal Intagliata’s motion of downward durational departure, then sentenced him to the maximum 165 months of incarceration.
Before announcing the sentence, Love listened first to Shirley Radcliff, the mother of Bobbie Jo, who read a statement aloud. A visibly shaken Radcliff cried as Ralstin listened without expression from 10 feet away.
“I come before you with a real sad heart,” sobbed Radcliff. “There’s no justification for what Mark Ralstin done. He’s supposed to be such a spiritual man but the night that he shot and killed my daughter; there was no spirituality in him. He was a cold-blooded murderer. There is no sentence this court can hand down that will right the wrong Mark Ralstin did to Bobbie Jo, her children her family and most important, god.”
Following Radcliff’s statement, other attending family members sat quietly for more than an hour as Intagliata and state attorney Travis Harrod presented arguments for and against the motion of downward durational departure, which was Intagliata attempt to sway the judge to rule below the state’s sentencing guidelines.
“I’m always a little bit apprehensive presenting this type of motion in cases of this nature,” said Intagliata before presenting his case for a reduced sentence. “All we are saying is that the person you are about to sentence is more than what happened on November 6, 2009.”
In presenting his argument, Intagliata revisited many aspects of the case, which include Ralstin’s trouble with alcohol and prescription drugs and the lack of serious criminal history
Ralstin himself read a long rambling letter aloud to the judge and to the two dozen family members sitting in the audience, but the substance of the letter was aimed more at his family, not the judge. He spoke about his troubled relationship with his wife and his current relationship with his children. Ralstin stopped a number of times to collect himself, crying only when he was discussing his son and two daughters.
“Had I been in my right mind, the tragic events of November 6th never would have happened,” said Ralstin. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I hope that some day our whole family can be reunited. That we can create new memories. My love and prayers are with them daily.”
Mark H. Ralstin appeared in Kiowa County Court on Wednesday morning for sentencing on his July 21, 2011 second-degree murder conviction. Ralstin was convicted by a jury of his peers for the intentional murder of his wife Bobbie Jo Ralstin on Nov. 6, 2009.
Ralstin showed no emotion as Judge Daniel Love first denied defense attorney Sal Intagliata’s motion of downward durational departure, then sentenced him to the maximum 165 months of incarceration.
Before announcing the sentence, Love listened first to Shirley Radcliff, the mother of Bobbie Jo, who read a statement aloud. A visibly shaken Radcliff cried as Ralstin listened without expression from 10 feet away.
“I come before you with a real sad heart,” sobbed Radcliff. “There’s no justification for what Mark Ralstin done. He’s supposed to be such a spiritual man but the night that he shot and killed my daughter; there was no spirituality in him. He was a cold-blooded murderer. There is no sentence this court can hand down that will right the wrong Mark Ralstin did to Bobbie Jo, her children her family and most important, god.”
Following Radcliff’s statement, other attending family members sat quietly for more than an hour as Intagliata and state attorney Travis Harrod presented arguments for and against the motion of downward durational departure, which was Intagliata attempt to sway the judge to rule below the state’s sentencing guidelines.
“I’m always a little bit apprehensive presenting this type of motion in cases of this nature,” said Intagliata before presenting his case for a reduced sentence. “All we are saying is that the person you are about to sentence is more than what happened on November 6, 2009.”
In presenting his argument, Intagliata revisited many aspects of the case, which include Ralstin’s trouble with alcohol and prescription drugs and the lack of serious criminal history
Ralstin himself read a long rambling letter aloud to the judge and to the two dozen family members sitting in the audience, but the substance of the letter was aimed more at his family, not the judge. He spoke about his troubled relationship with his wife and his current relationship with his children. Ralstin stopped a number of times to collect himself, crying only when he was discussing his son and two daughters.
“Had I been in my right mind, the tragic events of November 6th never would have happened,” said Ralstin. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I hope that some day our whole family can be reunited. That we can create new memories. My love and prayers are with them daily.”
Judge Love seemed unmoved by the lengthy speech and sentenced Ralstin to the maximum sentence allowed by Kansas Sentencing guidelines. Love mentioned a handful of facts from the case that he felt were factors in his decision, including that Ralstin had walked a long distance from the vehicle that Bobbie Jo had locked herself in and that Ralstin’s daughter, upon seeing the gun fire did not try to intercede, but instead fled and hid out of fear.
“It’s been very evident that you come from a good family,” Love said. “Bobbie had an equally good family. As I look across the specter of this case and I read all of the letters, it is amazing at the harm you have done to all of these people. It’s staggering”
Ralstin was sentenced to 165 months and will be under supervised probation for 36 months following release. With time served and 15 percent time allowed good behavior, Ralstin will serve only an additional 9 years in prison.
“It wasn’t what we had hoped,” said Radcliff following the hearing. “We’re grateful for what we did get. I’m still trying to move forward, but I miss Bobbie everyday and the tragic way she died is unbearable. We’re just going to pray and try to move forward.”
editor@kiowacountysignal.com
