Woman sentenced in abuse, death of girl whose remains were found in attic

PHOENIX — The skeletal remains of a 9-year-old girl were hidden for years in the attic of her adoptive parents’ home. Now, the surviving children from that house have appeared in court, telling a judge what they endured.

The Adoptive mom, Maribel Loera, was sentenced to 32 years in prison after pleading guilty last month to second-degree murder, concealment of a dead body, and 10 counts of child abuse.

“This was a cruel, heinous, and depraved murder,” Judge Brad Astrowsky said before handing down the sentence.

Loera, 57, addressed the court through an interpreter.

“I would like to ask for forgiveness to the victims,” Loera said.

In 2020, Loera and her husband, Rafael, were arrested after their adoptive children reported abuse. A fire at the house led to the discovery of the little girl’s remains in the attic. It is believed she was killed years earlier, in 2016.

At sentencing, the surviving children described the abuse they endured. One young woman recounted the physical violence she experienced.

“She would bang my head against walls and floors. She would get a wood broom/mop stick and bang it on our heads to the point it would get busted open,” she said.

The children also remembered the last time they saw their sister, whose birth name was Charisma. One sibling described witnessing the abuse that preceded her death.

“I heard my sister crying, and went to go check on her, and remember opening the door and seeing Mirabel stomping on her, and I remember just running back into my room and hiding under my covers,” Charisma’s brother said.

He added Maribel’s husband, Rafael, was supposed to take Charisma to the hospital — but he returned alone.

“What we were told was she was sent with family to Mexico,” the brother said.

Loera acknowledged in court that her 32-year sentence likely means she will spend the rest of her life in prison.

Charisma’s brother delivered a powerful statement to the court before the sentence was handed down.

“I may have escaped the monster she is, but my scars will always remind me of what I experienced throughout those 10-plus years,” he said.

Judge Astrowsky responded directly to the surviving children.

“I’m sorry for what you had to go through,” the judge said.

Rafael Loera, the adoptive father, was also charged with murder, child abuse, arson, and concealment of a body. He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

This story was reported on-air by ABC15 Investigator Melissa Blasius and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.