A Santa Clarita murder suspect who stabbed Michelle Dorsey, his estranged wife, to death in April was sentenced to 26 years to life Monday with additional time for enhancing charges, with a possibility of parole.

James Matthew Dorsey, 42, returned to court Monday and was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison plus time for enhancements for the stabbing death of Michelle.

James was served multiple sentences to be served consecutively on Monday; 26 years to life for murder, one year and two months for kidnapping, six years and one month for felony burglary, evading law enforcement and eight months for assaulting a peace officer, according to officials at the courthouse.

Under the state’s Elderly Parole Program, Dorsey is expected to be eligible for parole once he has served at least 20 years of his sentence, at which time he will be 61 years of age.

On April 15, Dorsey arrived at the house where his estranged wife and three sons were residing, according to officials.

It was reported that he broke into the house with the intent to kidnap and murder Michelle Dorsey, according to officials.

However, after a brief fight ensued between the two of them, James stabbed her multiple times.

Before Michelle died she informed investigators that her estranged husband was the one who stabbed her.

Michelle’s friends and family members detailed their feelings of loss and how they have attempted to cope since her death at the hands of her estranged husband on April 15.

Her sister, Jessica Jordan, shared that James had apparently repeatedly verbally abused her sister, threatened Michelle’s life during Christmas of 2019, and had even once gone through the home the two shared, destroying every family photo in the house.

“Matt, you no longer exist to me. I hate you,” Jordan said. “I hope the rest of your life is horrible,  I hope you suffer.”

Michelle’s family begged the judge for the maximum possible sentence not only as justice for Michelle but to ensure their own protection as well.

See Related: Santa Clarita Murder Suspect Pleads No Contest After Allegedly Stabbing Michelle Dorsey To Death

Dorsey’s three boys were in the house at the time of the murder but were not injured.

“She loved her boys until her dying breath,” said Daniel Smith, Michelle’s brother.

Smith arrived at the hospital in time to tell his sister he loved her before her death, then turned his attention to her three children, two of which had their legs covered in their mother’s blood, according to family statements.

“We will have the rest of our lives thinking about ‘what-ifs’ and ‘what-could-have-beens,’” Smith said. “It takes an act of pure evil to carry out what you have done.

The three boys are now currently living with their aunt and grandmother.

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