After a jury found him guilty of the first-degree murder of his estranged wife, Ocean Beach resident Henry Lisowski now awaits a likely sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced April 1. Jurors deliberated for three days before determining March 2 that Lisowski, 69, killed Rosa Lisowski, 48, for financial gain, which is a special circumstance carrying such a sentence. The jury convicted him even though Rosa Lisowski’s body has never been found. “We’re extremely pleased with the jury’s verdict,” said Deputy District Attorney Nicole Cooper. “They returned a just and fair verdict. We had a lot of evidence.” The couple’s two sons, now six and eight years old, are staying with Veronica and Freddy Ramos. Freddy Ramos is Rosa Lisowski’s nephew. Rosa Lisowski was last seen March 24, 2008 after walking her youngest son to Barnard Elementary School in the Midway area. “It was obvious to me he was guilty,” said Veronica Ramos. “Henry has lied about so many things.” A few drops of the victim’s blood were found in Henry Lisowski’s car and in his home. The jury viewed the letter Henry Lisowski wrote to friends and relatives months later, in which he claimed his wife stumbled on the porch, had a seizure and died while he was taking her to a hospital. The handwritten letter said that he thought he would be blamed for killing her, even though he maintained it was an accident. Lisowski also wrote that he took her body and placed it in a dumpster. He wrote the letter “in the event of my death” and mailed it months after his wife disappeared. Someone mailed a copy of the letter to investigators, who determined the document was written in his handwriting. The letter proved to be a handicap to Lisowski’s defense, and he did not testify. His attorney, Richard Gates, argued that the crime could not be a murder because the prosecution did not know the cause of death. Gates argued it was an accidental death. “The evidence was very good. At the end, we were all sure of our decision,” said a juror who gave her first name only as Martha. “We wanted to make sure we were really open (to the evidence).” The juror said the letter helped them in their deliberations. “It is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” said Martha. “We all shed some tears since we’re dealing with someone’s life.” Veronica Ramos said she had been nervous about the trial. “We weren’t sure how it would come out,” Ramos said. She added that she wondered how a jury would view the lack of a body, saying, “We never found her.” When she was asked about the letter, Ramos said, “It didn’t surprise me he would come up with another lie.” At the time of Rosa Lisowski’s disappearance, the couple was in the middle of a divorce and custody battle over the children. Henry Lisowski had been ordered to pay at least $1,000 a month in child support payments. He had represented himself in the divorce. Testimony began Feb. 8 and jurors began deliberations Feb. 25. Lisowski remains in custody without bail.
