FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — A Virginia man now awaits sentencing after a jury on Thursday convicted him of killing his ex-wife, Kaitlin Roberts.
For the victim's mother, it's progress. But it can never bring back the daughter she lost.
"She lit up the room when she walked in," said Rebecca Shaw.
Kaitlin Roberts' light makes her mom smile even after her death.
"She was a wonderful daughter, a wonderful sister, niece, granddaughter, and, most of all, a wonderful mother," said Shaw. "She lived for her kids."
In January of 2020, that life was cut short.
According to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s office, 30-year-old Kaitlin Roberts’s body was found near the intersection of English Muffin Court and English Muffin Way in Frederick, Maryland.
Three years later, Kaitlin’s ex-husband stood trial in a Frederick courtroom, accused of stabbing her more than 30 times and running over her body with a Buick Enclave.
"She was taken from me by the most brutal murder," said Shaw. "That breaks my heart because I didn’t protect her."
On Thursday, the jury announced it had reached a verdict.
"We held hands and we prayed," said Shaw. "I just looked up to God and Kaitlin and my sister and my other daughter and when they said 'guilty' I just was overwhelmed."
The jury convicted 34-year-old Lemuel Roberts of first degree murder, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
"Justice has been served but...our hearts are shattered and they’re never going to go back to normal," said Shaw.
Now she prays Kaitlin's legacy will protect others from enduring what she did.
"She was 30 years old. She had her children. She had a full life ahead of her," said Shaw. "If I could give any advice at all, just take this situation and turn it into good by seeking help."
"Try to get your kids, get yourself in a safe environment," she added.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 21 of 2023, according to the State's Attorney's Office.
Shaw says she's hoping for a sentence of life without parole.