FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia mother who sedated her two daughters with melatonin-laced gummy bears before fatally shooting them was sentenced Friday to 78 years in prison.

Ron Youngblood, her ex-husband, told The Associated Press after the hearing that he had wanted to move to Missouri with both daughters but had reluctantly agreed to take only Brooklyn after his ex-wife objected.

The jury recommended 78 years in prison after hearing testimony during sentencing that Youngblood grew up in poverty in Argentina, was physically and sexually abused as a child, and resorted to sex work as a teenager to support her older daughter.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows said he saw no reason to reduce the jury’s recommendation.

Ron Youngblood, who was Brooklynn’s father and played a significant role in rearing Sharon, said he chose a seat in the courtroom where he could not see his ex-wife because it was so painful to listen to the words of the woman who killed his daughters.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement after Friday’s hearing: “There is no outcome that can give these children back the lives that were taken from them, but today’s sentence is a measure of justice for their family.”

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