Anna Ysasaga-Cuevas and her family celebrated Wednesday when they heard Jose Simental was denied parole again.
“It was the biggest gift of them all to know that person is going to stay there for another year,” Anna, mother of Mark Ysasaga, said.
Mark went missing six years ago in June. His body was found three years later. Police arrested Simental in May 2015 for the murder of Mark. The murder charge was taken off the table in a plea deal, and Simental pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and was sentenced to seven years.
“I am going to share my voice for my son. I want the parole board to know if they let Simental back out in the community, people wouldn’t feel safe. For him to hide my son’s body for three years and never said a word, what else can he hide?” Anna said.
Anna said the news of Simental being denied parole all happened on what would have been Mark’s 21st birthday.
“What I have left of my son is the memories and the pictures and his clothing. I don’t think I will ever get rid of that,” Anna said.
Simental will be reviewed again in March 2019.