PROVO — Alexis Somers' voice quavered as she read a letter to a judge Monday, calling her father, Martin MacNeill, a "monster."
"The last seven and a half years have been filled with my life's darkest days," she said, explaining that her father "robbed his children of a mother and took away their greatest source of happiness. … He destroyed my world and created a living nightmare in its place."
But MacNeill will be spending a lot more time behind bars for those crimes. He was sentenced Monday to one to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing Somers in 2007. On Friday, he'll finally be sentenced for murdering his wife, Michele MacNeill — 10 months after a jury convicted him in her 2007 death.
"My father's facade is now crumbled," Somers said prior to the sentencing. "He is a monster and must be held accountable."
MacNeill didn't look at his daughter during her comments, nor did he alter his unemotional countenance when his sentence was read.
MacNeill, 58, was convicted of forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony, after a two-day jury trial in July. MacNeill was originally scheduled to be sentenced last month, but 4th District Judge Samuel McVey granted a request to postpone the sentencing to Monday.
Following the conviction, defense attorney Randall Spencer filed a motion to dismiss or arrest judgment because police lost a recording of a conversation with MacNeill's accuser. McVey, however, denied the motion.
"I believe that additional information (in the recording) would not have altered the court's ruling," the judge said Monday. "The police kept pretty good notes on the interview."
MacNeill was also ordered to pay a $1,125 fine. McVey said he chose prison time instead of probation because MacNeill has not shown any remorse or taken responsiblity for his actions.
"Probation is for people that are treatable," McVey said. "Mr. MacNeill is not cooperating, (nor has he) admitted to the misconduct of the crime, which would preclude him from successfully completing sexual offender treatment."
Prosecutor David Sturgill said how much of the sentence MacNeill will serve in prison depends on whether he continues refusing to cooperate with authorities or whether he decides to undergo treatment.
"How long he spends of that one-to-15-year term (in prison) depends on him," Sturgill said. "My understanding is, in speaking to some of the members of the Board of Pardons, if an inmate takes advantage of a program like that, it can result in a reduction of their prison sentence. … Based on what I've observed and his attitude throughout this entire case, I don't anticipate that he'll do that."
Somers said her father's lack of remorse is hardly surprising to her anymore.
"I know he can't be rehabilitated," she said.
In a separate case, MacNeill, a lawyer, onetime physician and former director of the Utah State Developmental Center, was convicted in November of murdering his wife by overmedicating her after a facelift surgery and drowning her in a bathtub.
It will be up to 4th District Judge Derek Pullan on Friday to determine whether his expected prison sentence for the murder will run consecutive or concurrent to the sex abuse sentence. He faces prison terms of 15 years to life on the murder conviction and one to 15 years for obstruction of justice.
Somers testified against her father during the two-day trial in July, saying that while she was sleeping in her parents' master bedroom, MacNeill touched her inappropriately. Somers said her father later claimed he thought that she was his wife, though the incident took place after Michele MacNeill's death.
Somers reported two incidents of abuse to police in 2007, three months after her mother's death. The second incident, which allegedly took place during a trip to Disneyland, was similar to the first one, she said, though it was not allowed to be presented in court.
Somers said Monday that the family is relieved that MacNeill received the maximum sentence available for the sex abuse charge.
"This is one painful chapter at a close today," she said. "I'm just anxious to move on and focus on Friday's (sentence) for the murder of my mother. It's been a long time coming."
Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com
Twitter: MorganEJacobsen; DNewsCrimeTeam