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Grandmother of murdered Nashua toddler finds relief, gratitude after Marin’s conviction

By Staff | Aug 31, 2016

NASHUA – The paternal grandmother of Brielle Gage, the Nashua toddler whose mother, Katlyn Marin, was convicted Monday of murdering her, said Tuesday that she will "sleep easier" knowing that Marin "is going to be behind bars for a very long time."

Sharon L. Boucher, a Manchester resident who founded and moderates the Facebook page Justice for Brielle Eternity in her granddaughter’s memory, indicated in a statement emailed to The Telegraph that she anticipates that the wait for Marin’s Dec. 2 sentencing hearing will be far easier than the nearly two years she and her family waited for the verdict they had hoped for since Brielle’s death in 2014.

About a dozen members of Marin’s family, most of whom attended the trial and were present Monday for Judge Charles Temple’s verdict, gathered in a separate hallway in the courthouse following the hearing.

They declined comment for the time being, saying that they prefer to wait until Marin is sentenced to speak about the case.

Boucher, despite near-constant back pain and other health issues that necessitate the use of a motorized scooter, attended each day of Marin’s 9-day trial in Hillsborough County Superior Court South.

"I am relieved and thankful that … Katlyn Gage was convicted of murdering Brielle," Boucher said, using Marin’s birth name – which Marin, at the outset of trial, told Judge Charles Temple she’d prefer to use for the duration.

Boucher also posted the statement on the Facebook page, one of many entries that drew scores of responses of support and encouragement. She also floated the idea of organizing an event "to help facilitate closure for our family and the community," to which a number of Facebook users responded with suggestions.

"My heart is so full right now," Boucher began her five-paragraph statement. She acknowledged riding "an emotional roller coaster," wrestling with conflicting feelings that range from anger and confusion to deep gratitude "for the excellent work" by Nashua police, state Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Andrew and Assistant Attorneys General Jeffery Strelzin and Patrick Queenan.

Strelzin and Queenan "put on an excellent case that flowed smoothly and nailed all relevant points that proved Katlyn’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," Boucher wrote.

She thanked "from the bottom of my heart" the emergency personnel who first arrived at 14 Oak St. "and tried to save my granddaughter’s life," referring to the apartment where Marin and her then-fiance, Michael Rivera, lived with Brielle and her four other children.

"To all the patrolmen, detectives, forensic personnel and others who gathered evidence … I know this investigation was very difficult for many of you," Boucher wrote. But "we couldn’t have won this case without all your hard work and dedication.

"My family and I will never forget the support, love and encouragement we received during this long, arduous process."

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 594-6443, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com or@Telegraph_DeanS.

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