 A Bemidji man convicted of killing Rose Downwind was sentenced to 35 years in prison today. Under a plea agreement with the Beltrami County Attorney, 41-year-old Marcello Simerusti was given a shorter sentence for bringing law enforcement to the body and providing testimony into accomplished cases. During the sentencing hearing, family and friends of Downwind provided impact statements to the court. Downwind's mother said that Rose had been taken from her and that it still hurts every day. And the stages of grief or whatever are just beginning, and we all miss Rose, and he's never going to be in jail long enough, as far as I'm concerned. Simerusti was first named a person of interest in the disappearance of Downwind in November 2015 after she'd been missing for a month. He had a history of domestic abuse and was issued a no-contact order at the time of her murder. According to the police report, Downwind attempted to record a cell phone video of the abuse and he pushed her down the stairs, but an autopsy showed that she died of strangulation. It could have been preventable and you know it's hard to get away from you know what get away from that situation, but so if anything I would like Rose's legacy to be that somebody learned you know that saw the light to get out. Simerusti read a written statement in court in which he asked for forgiveness. Two people yelled out saying they would never forgive him. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.