SPOKANE, Wash. — Convicted killer Richard Aguirre was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 1986 murder of Ruby Doss on Monday.
Doss’ four daughters appeared via Zoom to address the court prior to the sentencing.
Lashundra Doss Walker, her oldest daughter, spoke first, telling the court she’s lived in pain with the emptiness of not having a mother.
“He changed the trajectory of my life, and my sister’s lives in such a negative way,” Walker said. “He used his power and his strength to erase her.”
She was 10 years old when her mom was murdered. She and her sisters missed out on having their mom there for the most important days of their lives, weddings, babies and so much more.
Doss’ youngest daughter Latoya was just five years old in 1986 and recalled waiting for her mom to come home.
“I was the five-year-old little girl in a hotel room in Spokane, Washington, waiting for (my mom to return), only to learn she never would,” Latoya said. “Our lives have been forever altered. The pain of her absence remains ever present.”
The courtroom was packed for the hearing with Aguirre’s loved ones filling one side and members of law enforcement on the other. One of the original detectives, since retired, was also there to hear Aguirre’s fate.
The state recommended the high end of the sentencing range, pointing to the extent of Doss’ injuries including severe blows to her head and strangulation that lasted at least three minutes. Evidence showed the killer chased Doss in her final moments.
“This was a brutal crime, (it) almost rose to the point of excessive force,” Haskell said. “This is not a 240-month act.”
The defense told the judge that Aguirre has a loving and supporting family. They asked the court to impose a 20-year sentence.
“This was a devastating loss, no one is disputing that,” he said.
He went on to say Aguirre’s age at the time of the murder, service to the community in law enforcement and military should be considered in sentencing. The defense said Aguirre would be a particularly vulnerable inmate in prison.
“Mr. Aguirre would have been 21 years of age when the crime occurred. Age is a critical factor when it comes to imposing a sentence,” the defense said.
Aguirre’s defense said he wanted to address the court himself at the sentencing, but his attorney said he advised him not to.
“Under the advice of my attorney, I’m not going to speak right now,” Aguirre said.
Several letters of support came in on Aguirre’s behalf, but no one spoke before the judge on Monday.
