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CLEVELAND - Judge Deena Calabrese sentenced former northeast Ohio doctor Yazeed Essa to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

41-year-old Essa has 30 days to appeal.

Last week, a Cuyahoga County Jury found Yazeed Essa guilty of aggravated murder based largely on circumstantial evidence.

A jury of seven men and five women convicted him of lacing Rosemarie Essa's calcium capsule with cyanide.

Rosemarie Essa's family and friends flooded the courtroom Tuesday, prepared to read their victim impact statements while Essa sat directly behind them in blaring orange.

Rocco and Gigi DiPuccio, Rosemarie's parents, appropriately took the podium first, and stood together. Rocco talked about raising a family and described most of his life as "lucky." But in 2005 when Rosie was murdered, he said his luck ran out. "We lost our Rosie for no reason, it's been five years of mourning, of adjusting and just a changed life for all of us."

Rosie's father continued, "We don't always understand some of [God's] works, but we've always been taught that someday we will understand, we've been looking for that. Meantime we'll keep the faith and do our best to make sure [our grandchildren] will use Rosie as an example of how to live as a loving, kind, compassionate human being."

Gigi followed Rocco's heartfelt reflection on family with a point blank question directed at Yazeed. "What do you say to a person who murders the mother of his children?"

She described Yazeed as having a blank stare with, 'The devil in his eyes,' and then announced, "May your life in prison be as miserable as you are."

Gigi spoke evenly as she told how her daughter had a simple wish. "All she wanted was children and a husband who loved her back. You took that away." Before leaving the podium, Gigi told Yazeed, "Our family has something you don't have; heart, love, compassion and strength, and a higher power that will get us all through this."

Rosemarie's best friend was next to speak about her, and first recounted how she used to babysit for Rosie. The two developed a strong relationship over many years, and Eva McGregor said she waits for the day they will be reunited. "I will miss her until I see her again, until we both rest in the peace of God," said McGregor.

Rosie's sister-in-law, Julie, who is now raising Armand and Lena, Rosemarie's children, talked about the simplicity of family life, and how a basic family rule is to love and "play nice." She spoke about five years of hardship and pain, trying to raise the children while their father fled the country and then stood trial for murder.

Julie spoke of the conviction, and said, "It will ensure that he will never hurt again. [Yaz] is a pitiful example of a human being. He will never know what it is to give love."

She continued, "What you took from us can never be replaced.... His only concerns are for himself. He did not stop to think about the permanent damage he instilled upon his children, his own family, not even his mother."

Julie then spoke about Armand and Lena. "Since that moment we brought them into our home we made sure we gave all the children the love and security they need to survive this ordeal.... You cannot imagine the fear that he put into their minds when they found out their father, their uncle was lost [when he fled the country]. They feared we too would be lost." Julie said the children often cried themselves to sleep at night.

"We will make sure [the children] never have the influence of Yaz in their life again," Julie resolved. "We will make sure goodness will prevail. Each and everyday I will stay strong for Rosie and I will make sure he stays behind bars."

Finally, Julie promised she will make sure all the children know what it means to "play nice."

Though they were not in the courtroom, the Essa children had a voice Tuesday. Dominic DiPuccio, Rosemarie's brother who is now raising Armand and Lena with Julie, read a statement from the kids. "I miss her terribly each and every day. We are happy children and love our new family. We love or new mom and our new dad and new brothers and sisters, but we are sad too. We hold our mommy close to our heart as we fall asleep at night. We were sad that she wasn't there when we first learned to read or ride our bikes, we are sad when we play [sports] and she is not there to cheer us on. We are sad when we come home with [good grades] and she is not there. We are sad at Christmas and Easter when we run down the stairs and she is not there to greet us. We are sad when we think about her and miss her but she is no where to be found but in our hearts. We are sad that our old dad's heart shrunk just like the Grinch's. But we are happy that we are safe."

Yazeed dipped his head briefly after the statement and pressed a tissue once into each eye. He then resumed his straightforward stare when Dominic turned to face him. "This is the last chance for you to say you're sorry," Dominic challenged. "Are you a man or not?" Yazeed made no response.