Chelsea man pleads guilty in 2021 stabbing death of his wife
BOSTON, August 16, 2024 – A Chelsea man will serve at least 25 years in prison after pleading guilty yesterday to stabbing his wife more than 40 times in 2021 before severely injuring himself, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
MARIO MIRA, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the December 11, 2021 death of his estranged wife, Paula Andrea Ortiz, 47, at her Chelsea apartment. Judge Mary Ames sentenced Mira to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 25 years.
Members of the Chelsea Police Department responded to the victim’s Stockton Street apartment at approximately 4:21 p.m. on December 11, 2021. There, they located Ortiz, who had suffered multiple stab and slash wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Responders also located Mira at the apartment. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with life-threatening wounds and was eventually arraigned in his hospital bed. A knife and a boxcutter were found near Mira.
Several of Ortiz’s relatives, including her sister, Ana Ortiz, and 17-year-old daughter, Maria Paz Ortiz, delivered victim impact statements at yesterday’s sentencing.
“It’s been almost 3 years of constant panic attacks, PTSD, nightmares, depression, days of not getting out of bed, days where I’m mad at the world and wonder who to blame. I’ve never really felt okay but I forced myself to find peace. I had no other option, I’m still angry at my dad, but I don’t hate him. But now I have to explain to my kids why grandpa and grandma aren’t with us, I have to retell my story thousands of times. I still have so many questions, but they will probably go unanswered. I do wish my dad had thought about us, but I guess these are things anger can do to you,” Maria Paz Ortiz said.
Hayden praised the survivors for sharing their emotions at the sentencing.
“These moving and heartbreaking words spoken by the people who knew and loved Paula Andrea Ortiz encompass all of the tragedy and cruelty and endless sorrow of domestic violence, and this case was as sad and tragic as any domestic violence case gets,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673.
Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications