It was an emotional day inside of a Fort Worth courtroom for the family of Elizabeth Pule Arellano.
In April, 2016, the 28-year-old medical student went missing. Her body was later discovered, with cement blocks around her neck, at the bottom of Lake Worth in Tarrant County.
Her estranged husband, Rudolph Arellano, pleaded guilty to her murder.
On Thursday, he faced a judge and the victim’s family.
The courtroom was full of Arellano’s family and friends. Many of them sat, unable to hold back tears, as the victim’s sisters and Godfather expressed their heartbreak.
“One-thousand, twenty-seven are the number of days I have been without my sister,” said Alejandra Pule. “She was beautiful, she was a light, and you stole her from us,” she said.
Many people had Arellano’s picture penned to their clothes, close to their hearts.
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Arellano and Rudolph met in high school. The couple had four children together ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old.
“The children cry often,” said Arellano’s Godfather, as he spoke in court.
“They miss their mother, but because of your machismo and pride, they will never see her again. You killed her, but we will keep her memory alive,” he said.
“This was his choice, and because of his selfishness he has caused so much pain. No family deserves this,” said Johanna Pule. “My sister died because of domestic violence. It is a huge problem. Not many people speak up about. My sister got away from him, but he couldn’t stand for her to be happy without him.”
Rudolph Arellano was sentenced to life in prison.
