SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - It was an emotional day in a Southern California courtroom for the family of a murdered Army veteran.
Nearly 20 people who were close to Julia Jacobson read victim-impact statements during the sentencing hearing for her killer, ex-husband Dalen Ware.
Julia’s brother, Tony Jacobson, spoke exclusively with 10News reporter Jennifer Kastner. “It was kind of both a celebration to her as well as an understanding that this isn't just some random person. It really is someone that truly did touch her community, served her country and people really did love her very much. Unfortunately, [Ware] took her away from us all,” says Tony Jacobson of his own impact statement that he read in the courtroom.
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Ware will serve 15 years to life in prison, after pleading guilty to her murder. It was more than a year ago that the retired Army captain and her dog disappeared over Labor Day weekend.
Her SUV was discovered abandoned near her home in University Heights. Ware was later arrested in Phoenix where he was living, and charged with her murder.
Her remains were discovered in a shallow grave, in Riverside County. Even though Monday’s sentencing was painful, it still brought back a flood of positive memories for the Jacobson family, as they shared old stories.
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“One of them that I remember so vividly just came rushing back to me. When she would laugh, she would snort a little bit which was makes it sound so embarrassing for her but it was one of her things that made her so personable,” adds Tony. What's next for the Jacobsons remains unclear.
“I don’t know if there's really ever closure in something like this. The fact that Dalen has 15 years to life just tells me that in roughly 14 years we’ll have to revisit this again,” says Tony.
