By Greta Mart
Martinez News-Gazette
A Superior Court judge broke into tears Friday while expressing his sympathies to the family of murdered Martinez teen Eric Bean, as he spoke of his love for his own teenaged son.
Judge Brian Haynes then sentenced one of Bean’s convicted killers, Timothy Danny Delosreyes III, to 25 years to life in prison. Haynes also sentenced Timothy Danny Delosreyes III to a concurrent sentence of life in prison after a jury found Delosreyes guilty of another charge last month: first degree torture. Two convictions on lesser charges added another two years to his punishment.
Many of the two dozen people sitting in the courtroom gallery wept throughout the proceedings, from the moment a bailiff led a yellow jumpsuit-clad Delosreyes, known as “Little Timmy,” to the defendant’s table to when the judge’s gavel thumped down an hour-and-a-half later.
For the mother, father, family members and friends of Eric Bean witnessing the hearing, the nightmare of seeking justice for their slain loved one ended this week as the last of the three men charged with the Dec. 2009 murder was handed a lengthy sentence.
For Bean’s convicted killers, the misery of spending the next 16 to 33 years — at least — in state prison has only just begun.
Delosreyes’s co-defendent, Robert Gardner, was found guilty on all counts earlier this year and sentenced to 33 years in prison. The third co-defendant, Timothy Danny Delosreyes Jr. — Little Timmy’s father — must serve 85 percent of a 16-year prison sentence, an arrangement made via a plea deal after Delosreyes Jr. agreed to testify against his son in September.
Delosreyes III will be 55 years old before he’s eligible for parole. The now 20-year-old entered the courtroom with a quick glance to the gallery, a small smile crossing his face. As he sat next to his lawyer, G. Wright Morton, he looked backed at the gallery a few times, only his eyes peeking over his shoulder and his chin tucked into his throat.
The hearing began with Judge Haynes reviewing sentencing reports and individual letters written in hopes of influencing the sentencing outcome. Next he invited anyone in the gallery to speak, explaining that “there is almost no limit on what you wish to say” and requesting speakers to sit in the witness stand to make the court reporter’s job easier.
First to speak was Eric Bean’s father, Jim Bean, dressed in his Army Reserve uniform.
“There are no words I can use to describe and tell of my loss,” Bean began. “My son was so loved by so many. There was always a smile on his face … he was always concerned for the homeless, and would ask me for food to leave in the parks for them. He loved to play baseball and fish: He was on a baseball team from age 4 to 17.”
As he remembered Eric’s love for baseball, Jim Bean started to cry, and stopped several times to collect himself.
“I keep thinking of Eric in that room, waiting for someone to come in and hurt him, how terrified he must have been. It’s incomprehensible. I miss my son more every day,” said Bean, calling Delosreyes a “psychopath” and declaring he hopes Little Timmy never gets out of prison.
“He finds no remorse in what he does,” Bean finished.
Delosreyes III’s mother, Marianne Forbes, next stood up to tearfully deliver a statement.
“I’m here for the justice of Eric Bean,” she began, speaking of her unconditional love for her convicted son. “My heart goes out to Bean’s family — it’s a horrible tragedy and I cannot tell you how sorry I am. My son, you’re my only child, I will love you forever. I would give my life for you, I would change places for you, but they won’t let me. No parent wants their child to suffer. I think you should take responsibility for what you have done, but I am sorry this whole situation happened … we are going to be separated but we will always be together in our hearts.
“God bless you, Eric, and God is with you, Timothy,” Forbes said as she returned to the gallery. Delosreyes stared straight ahead through her address.
As tearful as her daughter, Delosreyes III’s grandmother also spoke at the hearing. “An inexcusable tragedy occurred that brought us together,” Cathy Sanchez said. “I’m truly, truly sorry for Eric’s family … Tim and Eric had one foot in adolencense and the other had not quite landed in adulthood. They were kids.”
Sharing is caring!
God bless Eric’s family and friends and Eric is with God now finally at peace. I have to say that Eric’s mom is the most humble woman I have ever met saying to me when I told her I was sorry that she knew this was hard for me, seeing through the midst of her pain, my pain also. We all lose in the end. Eric’s father was very tearful but receptive to hearing mine and my mothers sincere apologies and sadness for Eric and what happened to him. I do not believe complete justice for Eric was served in this case and the case was not investigated enough leaving the Da an easy job of just sticking the murder on one when I am sure the adults in this case are very much responsible with histories and rap sheets of continuous crimes. They were just kids around the presence of three adults whom I don’t believe would allow something like this too take place and I am sure they took part in this murder and torture of Eric, actually having motive. What I a have learned in this experience is the justice system is not just they are just looking for the quickest way to get the case over with instead of looking at the obvious and taking time to see the story does not add up in any way. Leaving Eric without full justice to my dismay and probably to his family too. The Da was so eager to solve the the case that he missed important and obvious things but did not proceed to put the footwork into seeing this nightmare holds much more than he focused on leaving one person walkiing and one whom is a third striker already a sentence that will end in five years because time already served. Just as everyone so quick and eager to testify against my son down to his own father to save his own self from going to prison for long and changing his story up several times as did Melodey and Robert. But no one took heed to this. How could the adults walk so much without more consequenses. And a family member testifying agaisnt his own son is unherard of. A parent does not do this, this is not love as much as it may not be right. It’s sad when it all is not the correct facts. My son refused to testify against his own dad once given the opportunity in the very end becuase he would not do that to dad so who is loving whom and demonstrating true love and wanting to bear the whole consequnces on his own and do the time for both of them and let his father receive the lesser sentence. Who is in charghe here the adults are children. Really. I am in no way saying everyone is not responsible but it’s shame that a child is willing to be silent and do whatever and say whatever he can to decrease his dads involment. I am positve they were all on speed and believed the first story that was told that one of the adults fronted Eric some drugs and the kids probably did it all leaving Eric no money to pay his dead which lead to the stealing of weapons of his father where only Roberts finger prints were found. Where was everyone during this ordeal, just letting in happen after seeing Eric in destess, no they participated if not were the ring leaders in this whole situation. And this was not seen for what it was. Timothy did not have a history or rap sheet to show any thing that would lead up to this and to his friend and be so brutal unless forced to do this becuase it was his friend that made him responsibe to take help take care of this matter. This is my take on it in part. All will have to live with this what they did on their minds for the rest of their life and will go to bed each night reminded what they did that was so brutal and wrong and heinous and their lack of doing noithing or blaming only one or putting themselves out of harms way becuase the adults are familar with the prison system and knew exact;ly what to do to save them selves as much as possible. My son said what he could while being recorded to lessen his dads involvement by saying he wasn’t there at all to Tim testifying he was at one time he was, to Melody saying he was in and out and no one did anything? Timothy is scared of his dad and would not do withoug instruction of one fo the adults probably forced to particpate in something like this if this is even what happened. He knows his dad would kick his ass and what about Robert and Melody in there best friends house allowing or participating is this brutal house of Tim.s, I don’t t hink so or Tim would kill them. It is all very tragic that all the parts of everyone are hidden and Melody’s testimony was to protect her husband as much as possible and her story was just unheard of that she could lay on the couch as this took place. I don’t think so. I am sorry that the full justice of Eric was not served as well as it could have been and just look for the fastest way to convict someone and anyone and demote the others part in this crime and maybe letting the most dangerous out. Eric just remember not a day that goes by that they will not remember the life they took or let happen to you unelss the have no concioness which is possible. They will be living with their actions for the rest of theri lives even if free they lose still with a mind wrapped up in nighmares and sight of Eric in pain and hurt. May this image stay imprinted in their mind by taking or doing nothing for a childs life to save him. I am Timothy Delosreys III’s mother the one convicted of murdering Eric all on his own. That is just not possible unlessi his life was threatened by them to get beat up if he did not do it for Eric was his friend and he did not have dope to front him he was an addict he would do it not front it nor woiuld he steal guns for payment he is not that smart or able to pull off a plan such as this on his own. All play a part and take responsibility for your acitons to all involved in this place or may you feel the guilt of not and may this be on your mind to remind you of how you got away on lies. God bless the family of the victim Marianne Forbes
My heart breaks when I think of this horrific tragedy! It is happening all around us, at least here, in California. People cross our paths, terrorize our women and our children. I agree that even if young Timothy hurt is best friend, that there is way more behind it, and yes, these adults were very much a part of that! No one wants to take on these people because they are historically bad, and people are afraid of them. I know as a woman how hard it is to raise a child, especially in today’s world. We don’t always know who we are really involved with, or what they are capable of doing, until it is too late. Also, the denial that something like this is even possible, because we as people cannot fathom this kind of behavior and treatment towards other human beings. I think it is so sad to watch our children become involved in things, because they are scared and think they have to, or they want some approval, even if it means doing something like this. There are many young people struggling in today’s world, and often times with parents that have split up. The family unit has definitely gone “down hill”, and it affects us all. We are all responsible for what happened, just by the very nature of the situation, which we could not see fully, at the time. No one wants to admit that awful things are going on around us, or that something may be, but we are to scared to get involved or are terribly afraid of this unknown feeling, because of the potential danger it puts us all in. We push each other away, even if we need help, or want help! When I first heard of this tragedy, I got so upset, I lost it! I felt the worst things, and I said the worst things.. hard to admit. Then when I calmed down a bit, I realized that these young, very young boys, had to have been terrorized to even think this was okay, no matter what they have seen up to that point in time. Then I had to realize that it was not just the children, but in some way, we as a society had failed them. Even if you grow in a family with a lot of troubles, this is way beyond belief. I felt so terrible for Eric, but I feel bad for Timothy too. It is sad that people think this is okay for our children, no matter how troubled we may think they are, they don’t deserve to do this to each other. I know this is not going to make things any better, but my heart goes out to Eric’s family, and to young Timothy and his family. I feel like as a mother and friend, we let them down. Hopefully, we will all be able to learn and forgive each other for this terrible tragedy. What Marianne said is true ” we all lose”, now it is time to try live in a better way, not just for ourselves, but for the future of our children. My heart goes out to everyone hurt, and the tears still come, but I think after we start to mend, we will be able to see things in a different light.
In a perfect world, a just world all four killers would be tortured and killed. That would be just. That would be fair. That would be justice. There is ZERO EXCUSE FOR WHAT THEY DID. I don’t care who persuaded who. All four are alive. Eric is dead. Death to the four killers is the only true form of vindication.