Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 72° Today's Paper


Top News

Psychologist gets 6 years for 1995 killing of her alleged rapist in California

Norma Patricia Esparza watched during a Nov. 2013 news conference in Santa Ana, Calif. Esparza, a psychologist, was sentenced to six years in prison for the 1995 killing of a man she says raped her while she was a college student. (Bruce Chambers/The Orange County Register via AP, File)

SANTA ANA, Calif. » A former psychology professor was sentenced today to six years in prison for the 1995 killing of a man she says raped her while she was a Southern California college student.

Norma Patricia Esparza, 41, pleaded guilty in 2014 to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for the prison term in the death of Gonzalo Ramirez.

She did not speak as she was sentenced with two co-defendants, but her lawyer told the court that his client realized all actions have consequences and she should have come forward sooner.

Esparza pointed out Ramirez at a bar in 1995 to former boyfriend Gianni Van and others who kidnapped and killed him, hacking him with a meat cleaver, authorities said. Ramirez’s bloodied body was found by the side of a road in Irvine, but the case went cold for years.

Esparza was arrested in 2012 while visiting the United States from France. Born in Mexico, Esparza grew up in California, obtained a doctorate in psychology and worked as a consultant for the World Health Organization and as a professor in Switzerland.

Her case drew international attention and stoked an outcry from campus sexual assault victims’ advocates, who said Esparza’s arrest sent a chilling message to rape survivors.

At the sentencing, Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray read a letter from one of Ramirez’s brothers.

“It torments us to think of each stab, each hack and blow that he received while being tied without being able to defend himself,” the letter said.

Authorities charged four people with the death of Ramirez, who Esparza said raped her after she met him at a bar while she was a student at Pomona College.

Weeks later, Esparza pointed out Ramirez at the same bar. Van and two others followed him in a van and rear-ended him, attacked and kidnapped him, before tying him up and killing him, authorities said.

Esparza’s husband, Jorge Mancillas, told reporters in 2013 that his wife had confided to Van about the rape and Van took matters into his own hands. She was later forced into a sham marriage with Van to prevent her from testifying against him as police began looking into the murder.

Esparza was arrested after she had divorced Van, who was convicted by a jury and sentenced last year to life without parole for the killing.

Esparza took a plea deal in the hope of reuniting one day with her young daughter, her attorney Jack Earley told reporters after the hearing.

Her friend, Eloisa Martinez, said she hoped Esparza’s case would encourage victims to report rape.

“I truly believe had she said something when it happened, maybe she wouldn’t be here today,” she said.

Also today, co-defendant Diane Tran was sentenced to four years in prison and freed based on time already served. She did not speak in court.

Shannon Gries, who was sentenced to 25 years to life, apologized and said he would spend his life trying to make amends to Ramirez’s family.

Outside court, the prosecutor said he was disappointed the defendants didn’t acknowledge killing Ramirez.

“It didn’t just happen. They murdered Gonzalo Ramirez, and I didn’t hear one of them take responsibility for that,” Murray told reporters.

10 responses to “Psychologist gets 6 years for 1995 killing of her alleged rapist in California”

  1. saveparadise says:

    At least the rapist did not escape. I feel sad for all involved. May you have closure someday if not already.

  2. Blunt says:

    Only 6 years. Lucky. Maybe out in 2. Good topic for many dinner tables, CNN discussions by experts in everything, bar conversations, etc. I am trying to think how a better murder could have been accomplished successfully. Want to write a murder novel about a pretty Mexican beauty who is also smart.

    • krusha says:

      Until you have been in the same situation as her, it’s hard to judge such people and know the hell that they have gone through with their experiences.

  3. Tita Girl says:

    Six years? They all should have been acquitted and given a reward for saving CA the cost of housing a rapist.

  4. st1d says:

    should have reported the incident to the police and had the case tried in court.

  5. MillionMonkeys says:

    What if, in that dark bar, the drunken student mistakenly pointed at an innocent guy? Should she say “Oops, my bad!”?

    Is it possible to investigate the alleged rape from 20 years ago? If not, they should consider it a cold heartless murder, no extenuating circumstances.

    • mitt_grund says:

      If he was indeed the rapist, he deserved what he got. Tough on the relatives, but if they knew he did it, shame on them. But as a Hispanic, Esparza would have probably gotten no justice as a member of a lesser race and female to boot. Amazed that she rose above that to accomplish what she did accomplish.

  6. MillionMonkeys says:

    “…outcry from campus sexual assault victims’ advocates, who said Esparza’s arrest sent a chilling message to rape survivors.”

    Not really. It only affects those who kill and chop up their alleged rapists.

Leave a Reply