Mother Sentenced To 80 Years For Killing Own Children To Spite Ex-Husband
Oct 07, 2023, 01:00 AM
Share
Subscribe
A Virginia mother was sentenced to nearly 80 years in prison for fatally shooting her two daughters after slipping them melatonin-laced gummies. Prosecutors said that Veronica Youngblood killed Brooklynn Youngblood, 5, and Sharon Castro, 15, when she could no longer use the girls as “leverage” over her ex-husband.
Ron Youngblood claimed the killings were a last-ditch effort to inflict agony on him. “Those girls were leverage to her — leverage to get what she wanted from me," the 52-year-old former Navy veteran said. “She obviously knew those girls were the most important things in my life.”
The Youngbloods had been living in Virginia and were planning to relocate to Missouri with their girls in August 2018.
Veronica Youngblood backed out of the move at the last minute, saying she wanted to stay in Virginia with her daughters. However, he said a judge ruled that Brooklynn, Ron's only biological daughter, could still accompany him to Missouri.
"When the judge made the decision I could leave with Brooklynn, she saw that she had no more tools to use against me, so she decided to get rid of them," he stated.
After sedating the girls, Veronica Youngblood gunned them murdered as they slept in their apartment on Aug. 5.
As her eldest daughter lay dying, Veronica Youngblood called her ex-husband to tell him she hated him and had shot their children.
“She could do the one thing that could really hurt me, and she had been trying it for years, and she wasn’t successful at it until she murdered my girls,” Ron Youngblood said.
“I wouldn’t put it past her that she would try to do something to me, but I never thought she would have done something to the girls.”
Brooklynn, who was shot in the head, died at the scene. Sharon, who was struck in the chest and back, later died at the hospital.
The teen had managed to call 911 to inform the dispatcher that her mom was the shooter.
After hearing her call during the two-week trial, jurors were so traumatized that they asked if they could receive therapy.
Ron Youngblood believed his ex-wife murdered his girls because she felt she couldn't use them to control him any longer after he intended to leave with them.
Veronica Youngblood was found guilty in March of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of criminal firearm use.
The defense claimed that the Argentinian native heard voices and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the defense was rejected.
The jury heard testimony during sentencing that the murder mom grew up in poverty, was physically and sexually abused as a youngster, and turned to sex work to support her eldest daughter.
In March, Veronica Youngblood was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm use.
She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with her lawyer claiming that the Argentinian native heard voices.
Ron Youngblood said that he had faith that the judge would impose the maximum sentence, but even with his ex spending the rest of her days rotting in jail, he will always mourn his daughters.
“They weren’t the most important things in my life — they were my life. That was all I really cared about. When she took that from me, it’s something I’ll never get back.”
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Ron Youngblood claimed the killings were a last-ditch effort to inflict agony on him. “Those girls were leverage to her — leverage to get what she wanted from me," the 52-year-old former Navy veteran said. “She obviously knew those girls were the most important things in my life.”
The Youngbloods had been living in Virginia and were planning to relocate to Missouri with their girls in August 2018.
Veronica Youngblood backed out of the move at the last minute, saying she wanted to stay in Virginia with her daughters. However, he said a judge ruled that Brooklynn, Ron's only biological daughter, could still accompany him to Missouri.
"When the judge made the decision I could leave with Brooklynn, she saw that she had no more tools to use against me, so she decided to get rid of them," he stated.
After sedating the girls, Veronica Youngblood gunned them murdered as they slept in their apartment on Aug. 5.
As her eldest daughter lay dying, Veronica Youngblood called her ex-husband to tell him she hated him and had shot their children.
“She could do the one thing that could really hurt me, and she had been trying it for years, and she wasn’t successful at it until she murdered my girls,” Ron Youngblood said.
“I wouldn’t put it past her that she would try to do something to me, but I never thought she would have done something to the girls.”
Brooklynn, who was shot in the head, died at the scene. Sharon, who was struck in the chest and back, later died at the hospital.
The teen had managed to call 911 to inform the dispatcher that her mom was the shooter.
After hearing her call during the two-week trial, jurors were so traumatized that they asked if they could receive therapy.
Ron Youngblood believed his ex-wife murdered his girls because she felt she couldn't use them to control him any longer after he intended to leave with them.
Veronica Youngblood was found guilty in March of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of criminal firearm use.
The defense claimed that the Argentinian native heard voices and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the defense was rejected.
The jury heard testimony during sentencing that the murder mom grew up in poverty, was physically and sexually abused as a youngster, and turned to sex work to support her eldest daughter.
In March, Veronica Youngblood was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm use.
She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with her lawyer claiming that the Argentinian native heard voices.
Ron Youngblood said that he had faith that the judge would impose the maximum sentence, but even with his ex spending the rest of her days rotting in jail, he will always mourn his daughters.
“They weren’t the most important things in my life — they were my life. That was all I really cared about. When she took that from me, it’s something I’ll never get back.”
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com