Florida man sentenced to life in prison for 2018 killings of pregnant wife and father-in-law on September 6
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: Florida man Cassandritz Blanc, who confessed to killing his pregnant wife and his father-in-law more than five years ago, was given three life sentences on Wednesday, September 6.
A sentencing hearing was held for 27-year-old Blanc, who in June 2018 pled guilty to three charges of murder in the shooting deaths of his father-in-law and his pregnant wife, who was six months along, as reported by NBC Miami.
Cassandritz Blanc killed his wife and hid her body for days
According to Hollywood Police, Blanc killed his wife, Martine Bernard, and kept her body hidden for many days before disposing of it close to their Fort Lauderdale home.
The body of Roosevelt Bernard, 68, was discovered by police in a grassy area close to Washington Street and 29th Avenue.
A few hours later, 20-year-old Martine's body was found in a dumpster close to her Fort Lauderdale home in the 500 block of Northeast 1st Avenue.
Reportedly, Martine was also shot and killed by the Florida man, who subsequently burned and discarded the body in a Hollywood field.
What happened to Martine Bernard and Roosevelt Bernard?
According to the police report, Blanc, who was 22 at the time, unexpectedly arrived at Martine's home on June 9, 2018, as his family was preparing for his son's baby shower.
Blanc allegedly told police he was there to pick up clothing for his expecting wife, Martine.
Detectives learned from Roosevelt's wife that she left her husband alone with Blanc after a short while and went to take a shower.
She claimed that when she returned from the shower, Blanc was sitting on the couch with gloves on and her husband had disappeared. She claimed her pregnant daughter's room door was locked.
Blanc reportedly told his mother-in-law that a Hispanic man had knocked on the door and requested Roosevelt to come outside to talk, per the arrest report.
However, according to the authorities, Roosevelt never returned home.
According to autopsy results, Roosevelt had been shot. The bullet entered beneath his left ear and exited through his nose.
Blanc's pregnant wife's disfigured body was discovered by police after they made contact with him, per reports.
Investigators believe Blanc murdered Martine on June 4, 2018, kept her body in his apartment until June 11, and then disposed of it the next day.
According to police, Blanc made a "full confession," saying he killed his wife "because she disrespected him." He allegedly admitted to shooting his wife and then trying to mutilate her, per the authorities.
The arrest report states that Blanc afterward admitted to also killing Roosevelt Bernard.
According to the authorities, Blanc confessed to shooting his father-in-law in the neck and back in his ex-wife's old bedroom.
Cassandritz Blanc given life in prison with no chance for parole
Blanc expressed regret to the family before his sentence was delivered. The life sentences carry no possibility of parole.
The case was set to go to trial, until Blanc changed his plea to guilty on September 5. If convicted at trial, he might have received the death penalty.