(Phoenix) – Today, Maricopa Superior Court Judge Michael Blair sentenced a Gilbert man to 25 years in prison for the September 2017 murder of his wife. Mark Eric Ponsati (DOB 04/81) was charged with one count of second-degree murder and was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to be served in the Arizona Department of Corrections. 

“I have been waiting for 5 years and 8 months to speak about my precious daughter.  The pain is indescribable, especially when I heard about all the injuries she received,” said the victim’s mother during the victim impact statement at today’s sentencing and in a pre-sentence report.

On September 7, 2017, the Gilbert Police Department responded to a 911 call from the defendant. He reported that his wife had slipped in the bathroom and hit her head. The victim was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. The Office of the Medical Examiner report revealed that the victim’s injuries could not have been caused by a single slip and fall injury as described by the defendant. There were multiple blunt force injuries, multiple rib fractures, multiple skull fractures, spine and brain bruising consistent with violent shaking, and a large laceration on the back of her head. The investigation also revealed multiple indications of staging and tampering with evidence.

“This two-month trial concluded today with the maximum sentence for this defendant, and this means a sense of closure and justice for the family and friends who cared deeply for this victim,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “To the prosecutor and the victim advocates who worked tirelessly to bring justice to this family, I commend them because their work fulfills the duty bestowed upon this office: to hold criminals accountable and bring justice to victims.”

###