Idaho woman faces life in prison for ‘sadistic, evil, heartless’ murder of 9-year-old

BOISE – A Meridian mother who murdered her 9-year-old stepson has been sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole.

In 2020, Emrik Osuna died after he was repeatedly beaten, tortured, mocked and starved for months by his stepmother, Monique Osuna, and biological father, Erik Osuna. Ada County Deputy Prosecutor said Emrik’s life was a “living hell” in the months before his death.

“He wasn’t part of the family,” Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler said Thursday. “He wasn’t loved. He was an inconvenience to the family. In the end, Emrik’s body wasted away.”

Hippler said that Monique Osuna was “sadistic, evil, heartless” in her actions shown in the evidence presented in court.

The Osunas pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Emrik earlier this year as part of plea agreements. In exchange for their plea deals, the state didn’t pursue the death penalty, according to court records and Emily Lowe, a spokesperson with the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.

During an over five-hour sentencing Thursday, Monique and Erik Osuna listened as prosecutors made their case as to why Monique should spend the rest of her life in prison. Erik’s sentencing began Thursday but will wrap up Friday.

Ada County Deputy prosecutors John Dinger and Tamera Brooke Kelly played nearly 20 video clips from nanny cameras that showed the repeated abuse of Emrik within the Osuna household.

As clip after clip of Emrik’s torture played in the silent courtroom for over an hour, Monique Osuna kept her head down with her hair in front of her face and avoided looking at the footage. On occasion, though, Monique would make a small noise, grab a tissue or wipe away her tears.

“You’re on my s–t list for the rest of your life,” Monique Osuna can be heard saying to Emrik during one of the video clips on Aug. 24, 2020.

Emrik’s life only lasted for eight more days.

On Sept. 1, 2020, Meridian police responded to the Osuna home for a medical emergency – Emrik was not breathing. When police arrived, they could not detect a heartbeat and reported that they saw signs of abuse. The boy was transported to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, where he died early the next day.

“I know what I did was wrong,” Monique Osuna said choking up during Thursday’s sentencing. “I know I can’t bring him back – I can’t undo any of my actions.”