‘Heartless Monster’ Gets Life Without Parole

By JESSICA JUPITER & NADIRA FOSTER-WILLIAMS

Emotions were high in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday as the families of the three victims of a Bronx murder watched as the man responsible for their sorrow was sentenced to life in prison.

Roberto Nunez, 32, was convicted of six counts of both first and second-degree murder in the shooting of Amaury Rodriguez, Heriberto Suazo and Luis Catalan, whom he was accused of killing execution-style inside a parked BMW near Columbia University last year because of drug-related matters.

 Families of the victims took the stand to make statements before the sentencing.

Norma Catalan, mother of Luis Catalan, branded Nunez as a “heartless monster” who has brought her grief and a life of “constant nightmares.” Amaury Rodriguez’s brother, John, spoke for his mother, who was too emotional to speak and expressed his mother’s heartache of never getting to see her son again. “You took my best friend and protector,” added Rodriguez’s sister.

The prosecutor, David Drucker, then spoke directly to Nunez, saying, “You should have no mercy.”

The defense attorney highlighted Nunez’s parentless childhood after his father was deported and mother murdered.

This did little to pacify the emotions of the victims’ families, however, and when Nunez took the stand, the families’ yells and weeping filled the courtroom. Nunez spoke briefly, apologizing for his actions and expressing his condolences to the families.

Before announcing the sentence, Judge Thomas Farber noted that never in his career had he sentenced a defendant to life in prison, reasoning that all criminals could be redeemed. In this case, however, added Farber, Nunez showed “disregard for others’ feelings.” Judge Farber then went on to say that because of the “nature of the crime” Nunez would spend his life in prison without any option of parole.

After the sentencing, the families spoke of the bittersweet feeling of Nunez’s sentencing. Betty Rogriguez, the wife of Amaury Rodriguez, said that while she is glad that Nunez acknowledged their family, “it doesn’t change the loss we face.”

Nunez was also sentenced to an additional 75 years that would be served concurrently, 25 years for each victim.