The captain of the Montgomery County, Pa., domestic violence prosecution team recalls Kristin Mitchell?s murder as one of the worst she has seen.
“She was a beautiful 21-year-old recent college graduate,” Wallis Brooks, an assistant district attorney, said Tuesday.
“It?s heart-wrenching. She was awaiting a new job that looked very promising. She had great friends, and she had her whole life in front of her, and this guy cut it short tragically. Nothing will ever bring her back.”
Mitchell?s boyfriend, Brian David Landau, 28, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in Mitchell?s death and admitted to stabbing her 55 times, including 11 times in the back, after she attempted to break up with him, Brooks said.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 15 years, she said.
“Over the course of the months, I worked very closely with the family,” Brooks said. “They were in agreement that the plea deal would be acceptable.”
Friends and family of Mitchell have started a charity in part to drive home the point that domestic violence can happen to anyone.
“There are other domestic violence organizations, but most of them don?t put a face on the issue,” said Bill Mitchell, Kristin?s father.
“She was so special, because she did everything right. She went to college. She graduated. She had a great job lined up. She was a good person, and she wouldn?t hurt anybody.”
