Tiffany LaToya Nowden, 41, has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for killing her wife, Russina Vale, 38, and was ordered to pay $2,489 for her funeral expenses.
Nowden was sentenced by San Diego Superior Court Judge Fred Link following her guilty plea to second-degree murder in the June 5, 2014, stabbing death of Vale in her apartment in the 7700 block of Mission Gorge Road.
Link imposed 15 years to life and added five years for Nowden’s 1996 conviction for residential burglary. Her attorney said she probably would not be eligible for parole until she is in her 60’s.
“She will never forgive herself for what she has done,” said her attorney Mignon Hilts. “She is an example of what drug addiction (does). Drugs played a big part. Drugs clouded her judgement.”
The couple married on Dec. 3, 2013, but Vale filed for divorce just six months later in a split related to Nowden’s addiction to methamphetamine. She told Nowden not to return to the apartment and said she would no longer pay for her car or cellphone, the probation report said.
Vale did not change the locks, and she was stabbed in the chest and arm while she was asleep in bed. Nowden used a large knife which pierced her aorta and lungs. One of the pink earplugs that Vale used while sleeping was found on the floor in blood.
Vale may have not known about Nowden’s criminal record which included a violent relationship with a previous girlfriend in North Carolina in 2008, according to prosecution records.
Nowden stabbed her girlfriend with scissors in the arm and leg, and later pleaded guilty to damaging property in a separate incident. She was sentenced to attending 36 hours of domestic violence classes and some jail time on probation, prosecutor Matthew Dix wrote.
“You somehow convinced my sister no one else could love you as much as you,” said Sarah Alexander to Nowden. “She was the most loving, compassionate person I’ve ever known.”
Another Vale sister, Sandra Carlson, told Nowden she has her sister’s photo on the wall. “When my children are old enough, I’ll have to explain who that beautiful person was,” she said, adding she will use it to discuss forgiveness.
“I can be angry and sad, but I can forgive. You took my sister’s life! But I forgive you,” said Carlson.
Nowden responded: “I will forever be remorseful and saddened by what I have done. I deeply loved (Vale) and I am sorry. I pray in time you will heal.”
Link said a common theme in murders is drug addiction, and he thought drug sentences should be enforced. “We cannot allow the dumbing down of the drug laws,” he said.
Link gave Nowden credit for serving 660 days in jail and fined her $10,224.
Nowden fled the area with the couple’s two dogs and stayed with a relative in San Bernardino for about 10 days. She gave away the dogs to someone in that area before she was arrested. The victim’s family wanted to find the dogs, but Nowden said she didn’t remember who she gave them to.
