Murder Victim's Sister: 'We're the Ones Serving the Life Sentence'

The son of a slain Jefferson woman asked a Superior Court judge Friday to sentence his mother's killer to a full four decades behind bars.

Jesse Petersen told Judge Robert Mega he lost a "best friend" when Demetrius Diaz-Bridges killed his mother, Elizabeth O’Brien, with a barbell in her Nolan's Point Road home on Jan. 30, 2008.

“I have one less best friend because of what that animal did,” said Jesse Petersen, 19. “The day the arrest was made I had an overwhelming feeling of betrayal,” Jesse Petersen added. “My mother paid the ultimate price for her friendliness.”

Diaz-Bridges, now 23, was and must serve 85 percent of the term before parole consideration.

O’Brien’s other son Tyler, now 21, said he may have to go against what his mother wanted for him.

“My mother raised me to be caring and forgiving,” he said. “But I can’t forgive this. This was someone I considered my friend, and he took my mother from me. My home was with my mother. Now she’ll never dance at my wedding, or see any grandchildren that she may have had someday. Jan. 29 [2008] was the last normal day of my life.”

O’Brien’s sister, Laurie LaBarre, also spoke at the hearing, noting that the crime, “left two teenage boys without the rock and glue that held their lives together. We’re all damaged. We’re the ones serving the life sentence.”

Jill Stoner, a friend of O’Brien’s, said that O’Brien saw the good in everyone, even the person who turned out to be her murderer.

“I never thought that five days after she took him in and helped him, he would brutally murder her and make up lies to cover it up,” Stoner said.

Finally, Morris County Assistant Prosecutor John McNamara Jr. spoke to the judge about Diaz-Bridges’ decisions.

“The defendant stands before this court today because of decisions he made. He had every opportunity in his life to learn and grow, but every moment he made decisions that were poor,” he said. “He hit the victim many times. He could have made a different choice. He chose to cover up the crime in a way that almost guaranteed her body would be found by her sons.

“He has turned down many opportunities to avail himself of offers from the system,” McNamara continued. “He chose not to do that.”