SARASOTA, Fla. — It’s the murder-for-hire case that caught the nation’s attention.
Documentaries and books still tell the story of Sheila Bellush, the mother of quadruplets found murdered in her Sarasota home. She came to Florida in 1997 with her new family to get away from her ex-husband. But it wasn’t far enough.
Danny Rocha--one of four men convicted for his role in her murder is now asking to have his sentence reduced.
Rocha claims to have new evidence he says will prove his innocence.
Danny Rocha waved hello and smiled at his three sisters as he came into the Sarasota courtroom Friday.
His wrists cuffed and legs chained, Rocha asked the judge to nix his life sentence. The sentence was handed down after he was convicted of taking part in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the killing of Sheila Bellush. The mother had quadruplet toddlers and two teenage daughters at the time of her murder back in November 1997.
“I didn’t intend for him to enter the home,” Danny Rocha said.
Rocha is referring to Jose Del Toro, Jr., convicted of murdering Bellush after being paid by her ex-husband millionaire, Allen Blackthorne. Blackthorne was living in San Antonio Texas at the time of the murder.
But Rocha says all he did was give Del Toro the woman's address in Florida.
“You did much more than just hand him an address,” Art Jackman, Assistant State Attorney said.
Rocha’s attorney says Del Toro signed an affidavit in 2012 stating Rocha only provided Bellush’s address. Del Toro was originally just supposed to beat her up.
“If you enter a residence with the intent to commit a crime like aggravated battery, then you are guilty of all the crimes of your co-participants, whether you intended them or not," Jackman said.
"I did not intend for Del Toro to enter or commit a burglary," Rocha said.
But Del Toro did go into Bellush’s home and said he almost backed out when he saw how caring she was with her quadruplets, but she saw him.
One of Bellush’s older daughters found her mother’s body after school that afternoon after she had been shot, her throat slit and her toddlers were crawling around in her blood.
Will Del Toro’s testimony be enough to help Rocha?
“Even if Mr. Del Toro testifies his testimony is unreliable, he’s the killer, he has no consequences for his testimony," Jackman said.
Danny Rocha’s hearing will continue next month. That’s when Del Toro, the convicted murderer, will testify on Rocha’s behalf.
Until then, Rocha will remain at the Sarasota County Jail.
Bellush’s ex-husband died in jail in 2014. Del Toro is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole.
Del Toro’s cousin, Sammy Gonzalez, took a plea deal and served 19 years.
Bellush’s widower, Jamie, told us he still grieves her death. He had no comment for 10News and say he has lived a very private life since his wife’s murder.
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