Wife takes plea deal for killing husband and two sex partners he found on Craigslist

A Gaston County woman accused of murdering her husband and two other people took a plea deal Monday morning.

Crystal Gambino pleaded guilty to manslaughter and two counts of second-degree murder.

Gambino caught her husband, Giovanni, in bed with two other people -- Geoffrey Gilliland and Stephanie Sanchez -- in February 2016 and killed all three of them, according to police.

The prosecutor said Giovanni Gambino went on Craigslist, found a couple to have sex with and offered to pay them with cocaine.

Gambino shot and killed all three of them and dragged Sanchez's body outside, intending to burn it, according to the district attorney. The district attornery said Gambino stopped because she had to pick up her 8-year-old daughter from school.

A judge sentenced Gambino to 29 years in prison.

Eddie Hime, Sanchez's father, scoffered at the plea deal.

"Twenty-nine years for taking that away is not enough in my opinion," Hime said.

Jennifer Burke, Gilliland's sister, showed Gambino pictures of her brother.

"I can only hope that you suffer every day," Burke said. "You wake up and endure sleepless nights because your guilty conscience is eating at you for what you have done."

Gambino's attorney called the killings the result of stewing domestic violence, mental health issues and infidelity.

Gambino spoke to the victims' families and apologized for what she had done.

"I hate this happened. It's a horrible tragedy, not only to these people, but to my family," Gambino said. "I can say I'm sorry, but I don't think they'll accept it anyway."

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