Man gets maximum sentence in wife's murder

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. -- Kailyce Detmar's tears turned into anger in court on Friday as she faced her father, who has been convicted of killing her mother.

"For my mom, because there's nothing else we can do. This is the only thing we can do," she said. "Because she's gone and she'll never be back."

Detmar is only 16. With her mom gone, she'd be alone if not for her grandfather and relatives.

"Because of what he has done, because he made a stupid mistake because she didn't want you anymore," she said, facing her father, Steve Mullins.

Detmar's mother, Amy Mullins vanished last July. Her body was found a few days later. She had been beaten, strangled and stuffed into a refrigerator.

A Thurston County jury convicted Steve Mullins of first-degree murder. But in court on Friday, he tearfully insisted he did not kill his wife.

"I never hit my wife. I never hurt my wife. She was the greatest person I ever met," he said.

Detmar remained unconvinced.

"I have called you dad for the most of my life and I am declaring now that you will never hear the word 'dad' from me ever again," she said.

Mullins' son from another relationship told the judge he, too, loved Amy Mullins and that she raised him as her son since he was 5. Steven Mullins begged the judge not to take his dad away.

"I've never felt more love from anyone in the whole world. And I'm not asking; I'm begging you. If it's a day, a year - I mean, I want to hold onto what's left of my family," he said.

But Judge Ann Hirsch handed down the maximum sentence of more than 26 and a half years.

She then told Detmar she's a very brave young woman who will be successful despite this tragedy she's faced.

Mullins' attorney said he will appeal the conviction based on technicalities he said happened before the trial.