A woman from California who fled to Mexico after killing her wife, a wildland firefighter captain, was sentenced this week to 36 years to life in prison, officials said. Yolanda Marodi, 54, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder in the February 17, 2025, death of her wife, Rebecca Marodi, 49, at their home in Ramona, northeast of San Diego. The district attorney’s office confirmed the plea and the sentencing, which marks the end of a legal process that began after the fatal stabbing. Yolanda Marodi had a prior criminal record, having pleaded guilty in 2003 to voluntary manslaughter in the death of an estranged partner and serving about a decade in prison. The couple’s marriage, which lasted roughly two years, was reportedly deteriorating when Yolanda stabbed Rebecca about two dozen times. According to the district attorney’s office, some of the events of the day were captured on security camera footage from the couple’s patio. In one moment, a bloodied Rebecca reportedly told her wife that she didn’t want to die, to which Yolanda responded, “You should have thought about that before.” An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant stated that Rebecca had told Yolanda about a week earlier that she planned to end their marriage. A text message cited in the affidavit indicated that Yolanda told someone she hurt Rebecca after learning the relationship was over and that Rebecca had met someone else. Yolanda Marodi was captured in Mexicali, just south of the U.S. border, on March 22, 2025. During the sentencing hearing, Rebecca Marodi’s mother, Lorena Marodi, spoke emotionally about her daughter. She described it as “the privilege of a lifetime” to be Rebecca’s parent and said she had “stood strong to receive justice for my amazing, beautiful, strong daughter.” Lorena found her daughter’s body and called 911. She recounted how the image of her daughter lying on the floor with stab wounds to her back haunted her every morning. Despite the violence, she said she refused to let Yolanda’s actions consume her. The case has drawn attention due to the tragic nature of the crime and the emotional testimony from Rebecca’s family. The sentencing brings a measure of closure to a case that has been deeply personal for those involved, though the emotional scars remain.