FORT MYERS, Fla. — 8 years after 9-year-old Diana Alvarez was kidnapped and murdered, Jorge Guerrero has plead guilty.
"May God forgive you because I am not going to forgive you," Diana's mother, Rita Hernandez, said after an emotional hearing.
After years of searching and then years of waiting, the case is finally closed.
"At this time, we felt it was in everyone's best interest to put closure to this case and make sure that this monster spends the rest of his life behind bars," said Amira Fox, State Attorney 20th Judicial Circuit.
Jorge Guerrero-Torres plead guilty to murder and kidnapping charges.
In exchange, the State Attorney agreed to drop a molestation charge and took the death penalty off the table.
Guerrero took 9-year-old Diana, from her San Carlos Park home in 2016.
A year later, he was arrested and ultimately convicted in federal court of having child pornography that included pictures of Diana on his phone.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison by a grand jury in 2017.
It was a few years after that, that Diana's body was found and he was charged with her murder.
Fox says the terms of the plea were decided after a judge ruled last month that some of what Guerrero said about Diana in his statements during his first interviews with investigators could not be used in a trial because Guerrero did not know his Miranda Rights.
"The tragedy and heinous acts surrounding Diana's tragic death do not have to be relived in lengthy court trials by her mother any longer," said Fox. "Her mother who has been so brave through this entire incredibly lengthy process, and so patient, as well as the rest of her family who stood by her side during this ordeal. No sentence can ever undo the evil acts that were done to Diana."
Although the legal battle is over, the emotional battle continues for Diana's family.
"Not looking at this person anymore just to let my daughter rest in peace because anytime anyone looks at that person it's a pain, it's a pain just to know what he did to your daughter," said Hernandez
Guerrero does not have the chance to go to trial and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
