In July of 2018, Lamont Johnson, 45, pushed Bellamy Gamboa, the mother of his 20-month-old twins, down the stairs during a fight about rent, according to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
He fell down the stairs after her, with one of his young twins in his arms, and proceeded to suffocate Gamboa to death while the children watched, officials said.
He placed her body, wrapped in a comforter, in a Chesapeake dumpster and repeatedly left the twins home alone during the disposal of Gamboa and her personal items, the Attorney's Office said.
The police were contacted when Gamboa did not show up for work or her teenage son's practice the following day, officials reported.
The community searched tirelessly for Gamboa and Johnson never assisted in the search, law enforcement said.
Officials said Johnson confessed to killing Gamboa and dumping her body during a long interview with detectives.
On July 29, 2018, Johnson was charged for Gamboa's murder, but her body was never found, officials reported.
Johnson was sentenced on charges of second degree murder and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, law enforcement said.
Upon announcing Johnson's 25 years and six months prison sentence, Judge Lewis said Johnson's crime was “one of the most vile and inhumane cases” he had ever seen, officials said.
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