Georgina Vilella, the Walsall stepmother convicted of murdering her husband in a petrol arson attack, has died in prison while serving her sentence. The 60-year-old passed away at HMP Send in Surrey on Sunday, May 10, just before her 61st birthday. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an investigation into her death.
The Crime
In March 2011, Vilella poured petrol over her husband Carlos, 45, as he slept in their family home on Pleck Road in Walsall. The resulting blaze killed the father-of-six and trapped four of his daughters inside the terraced property. His daughter Josefina, then 14, suffered horrific 60 percent burns. She later had both legs amputated and lost part of her left arm, spending 18 months in hospital and learning to walk again using prosthetic legs.
Forgiveness and Sentence
Despite her life-changing injuries, Josefina forgave her stepmother, telling BirminghamLive: "She has claimed the life of a man who was dearest to me but I forgive her. I feel sorry for her." Detective Sergeant Rob Bastin described the case as "a horrific case, in which Vilella acted in a cold and calculating way" after evidence showed she bought petrol days before the premeditated attack. Vilella was convicted of murder and arson with intent to endanger life at Wolverhampton Crown Court in 2012 and sentenced to a minimum of 23 years.
Investigation Underway
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is now investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Vilella was serving her sentence at HMP Send, a women's prison in Surrey, when she died.
