PHOENIX — A Valley man who pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend, two young daughters and a family friend was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday.
Court documents show Austin Smith admitted to shooting and killing Daisa Patterson last April because he thought she was cheating on him. The documents show Smith said he believed God told him to do so.
Smith went on to kill his 5- and 7-year-old daughters, Nasha and Mayan.
After this, he shot and killed 46-year-old Ronald Freeman during a confrontation.
Smith's 3-year-old daughter was later found hiding under a bed.
In addition to the life sentence for four counts of first-degree murder, Smith was also sentenced to 12 years for attempted murder, 15 years for aggravated assault and 7.5 years for aggravated assault.
Family members of the victims were given a chance to speak during the sentencing.
"Each day I wake, I cannot believe he did this to my family," said Cynthia Patterson, Daisa Patterson's mother. "I will never understand ... why he mutilated [Daisa] and her infant daughters. They did not get a chance to live life. They were especially too young to die at the hands of a man that was supposed to love and protect them."
Sharon Fowls, Ronald Freeman's mother, also gave an emotional statement during the sentencing.
"This person doesn't even understand the magnitude of the destruction he has caused," she said. "I'm haunted. I'm just haunted and I pray that I will get over it and I pray that he will get what he deserves.
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