Man Gets 16 Years to Life for Fatally Stabbing Woman
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VENTURA — Charles Michael Smith, 44, was ordered Wednesday to serve 16 years to life in prison for stabbing 40-year-old Pamela Scott-Ostrem to death in December. He was convicted in June of second-degree murder.
Scott-Ostrem’s 84-year-old mother, Helen Scott, spoke at the sentencing. Smith told Scott he feels “heartbreaking grief” for killing her daughter during a drunken argument. “I have taken a precious life,” he said.
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