LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The woman accused of driving into a crowd of pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip in 2015, killing a mother of four and injuring a dozen others, has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
Lakeisha Holloway, also known as Paris Paradise Morton, was sentenced on charges of second-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and battery with use of deadly weapon related to the crash that killed Jessica Valenzuela, a mother of four. Her child was also in the car at the time of the crash.
Attorneys representing Morton agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors following the sentencing that gave her credit for time served.
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Victim’s children speak
Four of Valenzuela’s children gave emotional victim impact statements before the judge pronounced sentence.
Layla Valenzuela said she was eight years old and in third grade when her parents left for their anniversary trip. She said she told her siblings they would have Christmas together when their parents returned.
“I’ll never forget when my father walked through the garage and we were so excited to see him,” Layla Valenzuela said. “And I just kept asking him, ‘Where’s mommy? Where’s mommy? I want to see her. Where is she?’”
Layla Valenzuela said her mother never saw her eighth grade graduation or high school graduation. She said her mother will never see her wedding or see her fall in love with someone.
“It’s just taken so long for this to happen,” Layla Valenzuela said. “And it’s been 10 years, and we just got nothing. And every time it’s like, oh, it’s being moved to a different date.”
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Giana Valenzuela said she was nine years old and in fourth grade when her mother died. She said she did not say goodbye to her mother because she believed her parents would return from their trip.
“I remember that when our father came home, we went, we ran to the kitchen window and were confused, staring at that car,” Giana Valenzuela said. “Because why isn’t she here? Why isn’t she here?”
Giana Valenzuela said she made her mother a Christmas present at school and told her mother she would love the gift when she opened it on Christmas. She said her mother never got to see the video the children made saying they missed their parents.
“Once he told us that she wasn’t going to come back, I just thought, ‘I never told her goodbye’,” Giana Valenzuela said. “And I think about that a lot.”
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Melissa Valenzuela said she was four years old when her mother died. She said her mother was her only best friend.
“I never, like, was able to share the, like, times of being able to, like, go shopping with her or, like, being able to, like, learn how to do makeup or, like, anything that you would normally do,” Melissa Valenzuela said. “And I never will.”
Axel Valenzuela, the victim’s husband, said he had to tell his children their mother was not coming back. He said other children told his children they saw them on the news and that their mother was killed.
“It’s been very difficult,” Axel Valenzuela said. “But I know it’s not my job to judge her for what she did. It’s up to you. And then one day she’ll have to face God and he’ll judge her as well.”
Axel Valenzuela said he wanted to forgive Morton for what she did, but said the pain she caused will remain.
Defendant’s statement
Morton also addressed the court before sentencing. She said all the words she ever wanted to say to the victim’s family would never be enough.
“Your pain I have never taken for granted,” Morton said. “And to see you today finally that you get to have this moment for 11 years.”
Morton said she never wanted to say the wrong thing and apologized. She said words are never enough. Morton submitted a written statement to the court.
Morton was sentenced to 120 months to life in the Nevada Department of Corrections, with a additional 96 to 240 months for the deadly weapon enhancement.
On count two, she was sentenced to 24 to 120 months, which will run concurrent to the first sentence.
Morton was ordered to pay $70,738.16 in restitution to victims of crime and received 3,784 days credit for time served.
In 2020, Morton was committed to Lake’s Crossing Center in Sparks after being found not competent to stand trial.
She originally faced 71 charges, including battery with use of a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, child abuse and murder.
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