WAVERLY - The man convicted of killing a 15-month-girl received a mandatory sentence of life in prison Monday in Bremer County District Court.

A jury found Joseph Boose Jr., 28, of Waterloo, guilty of first-degree murder last month in the death of Emily Garrison, the daughter of Boose's former girlfriend, Elizabeth Freeman. The girl died in April 2001.

"You took someone very precious to a lot of people," Judge Stephen Carroll said.

Friends and family of the defendant and the girl's mother attended Monday's hearing. Several members of the jury and one police officer also witnessed the final step in what for many of those involved was a long quest for justice and resolution.

Law enforcement officials passed a metal detector over about three dozen people before allowing the spectators to enter the courtroom, an exercise not routinely practiced at the courthouse.

Several of Boose's supporters teared up when officers escorted him into the courtroom in the jail's fluorescent orange jacket, red shirt and pants and shackles. One person asked to hug Boose, but law enforcement officials denied the request.

A 30-minute delay allowed time for some small talk. In contrast, Freeman and her family entered the courtroom quietly, taking a seat in the front row. They later took turns telling Boose and the court about the impact of Garrison's murder.

Anna Graf, Freeman's sister, started with a positive memory, Emily's birth.

"What a wonderful day. What a beautiful baby girl," Graf said.

She described in painful detail the little girl's slow death at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

"It took hours," Graf said.

She and other family members experienced numbing pain, lingering depression and anxiety in the days that followed, Graf said. She noted Boose used some of the same symptoms as part of his defense strategy during the trial.

Graf also said she long suspected Boose played a role in the little girl's death. Boose confessed to suffocating the baby several years after the fact in December 2003.

"I knew it," Graf said. "I knew that's what happened. I always knew it."

She said she is content Boose is going to jail for life rather than the ultimate penalty available in some states. Iowa does not have the death penalty.

"I'm glad I don't believe in the death penalty," Graf said. "I believe you deserve life. You deserve life to remember what you did … "

Judy Graf, one of Garrison's grandmothers, displayed a large-framed picture of the girl as she spoke. She thanked jurors, prosecutors and police officers for their role in the case.

Freeman, the child's mother, read her victim's impact statement last.

"My pain was too much to explain," she said.

Her daughter's death and Boose's surprise confession prompted an overwhelming sense of guilt and regret, Freeman said, listing what she perceives as her own transgressions.

"I couldn't forgive myself for being oblivious to the abuse you'd been inflicting on her," Freeman said.

Freeman, a wife and mother, continues to hurt but said God is helping her heal.

"By the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, my anger has subsided," she said.

Throughout her talk, Freeman periodically flipped through a Bible. The verses she cited spoke of God's judgment, vengeance and wrath but also of forgiveness for those who ask.

"I've even prayed for you," Freeman told Boose.

Freeman found her last words in a reference to Christ on the cross.

"It is finished," she said.

The jury's guilty verdict came almost seven years after the little girl's death and four years after Boose's confession. Questions about Boose's mental competency subsequently led to numerous delays.

Freeman and family said the unusually lengthy process increased their pain and anxiety.

Judge Carroll addressed the implications of the sentence before turning Boose over to the temporary custody of the Bremer County sheriff's office. Boose will be transported to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale for a standard evaluation before being assigned to a prison.

"A life sentence in Iowa - unlike other states - means just that," Judge Carroll said. "You'll come out within a pine box."

On Monday, Boose apologized for his actions before officers led him back to jail. At the judge's order, Boose turned to face Freeman.

"Liz, I want to say I'm sorry," he said.

Boose said he was messed up on drugs but now claims to follow God.

"God's wrath will be put on me," Boose said.

"If I could do anything, I'd take it back," he added.

After sentencing, Justin Boose, the defendant's brother, said he disagrees with the outcome. In part, he attributed the events put his brother behind bars to drugs, rather than character.

"He's always been a loving and kind brother," Justin Boose said. "I'd trust my kids with him."

Joseph Boose will also be assessed court costs, attorneys' fees and victim's compensation. His defense attorneys plan to appeal.

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.