Frank Altimari, the son of a former federal prosecutor, was issued a 30-year sentence on Friday after he was found guilty of murdering his father by running him over and striking him 43 times with an ax.
Nicholas, 61, and his wife Felipita had just returned from dinner one fateful night in Chesterfield, Virginia, when Altimari pulled into the driveway and rammed into the couple with his car. He then used a double-bladed ax to bludgeon a downed Nicholas 43 times as Felipita watched on in horror. Nicholas was pronounced dead at the scene; Felipita escaped with a broken leg.
Frank Altimari, 32, claimed to be suffering from severe mental illness and delusions when he attacked his father on November 4, 2017. Court testimony revealed the attack happened shortly after Altimari stopped taking his psychosis medication. But despite prosecutors and defense attorneys agreeing Altimari was likely mentally ill at the time of the savage murder, Chesterfield County Judge David E. Johnson said claims of legal insanity couldn’t be corroborated.
Felipita says she’s still haunted by the visions of Altimari striking her husband with the ax, thinking the same fate awaited her next.
“I still hear the sound of the ax pounding against Nick’s head and chest,” Felipita said in court, “as Frank asked me, ‘Do you think he’s dead yet?’”
She continued, “Nobody in this world loved Frank more than his father, and I remembered that as I screamed at Frank and watched him take his father’s life.”
In a prepared statement, Altimari – who was medicated and stable – told the court he’s remorseful for what he did.
“Because of my actions, I lost my best friend, my dad.
“My dad and I were very close, talking almost every day. He was my rock and my support. I miss my dad so much and would do anything to undo what happened.
“Most painful of all is knowing how it was my actions that took my dad away from my family.”<3>
CITED REFERENCES
3. “Son of former federal prosecutor is sentenced to 30 years’ jail for running his father over and bludgeoning him 43 times with a double-edged ax in front of his horrified stepmother”
Luke Kenton, Keith Griffith. DailyMail.com: February 4, 2019.
Link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... or-ax.html (accessed February 21, 2019).
