BELL COUNTY, Texas — A Central Texas family will have to wait longer for justice after a sentencing hearing for a local man was decided to be delayed until March 5, 2024.
Judge John Gauntt did not sentence Jason Bernal Thursday afternoon. Instead, he, along with Bernal's attorney and the state attorney, chose to continue the sentencing hearing in March.
Bernal is accused of backing his three-story houseboat over a four-year-old girl and her dad on Belton Lake, near Temple Lake Park, in June 2017. He took a plea agreement in April of 2023 and faces a charge of criminally negligent homicide, a third-degree felony that carries a sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison. The judge can also choose to charge Bernal with a fine up to a $10,000.
Four-year-old Kaitlyn Oliver died shortly after being struck by the houseboat. Her dad, Patrick Oliver, was severely injured while trying to rescue her. He had to have both his legs amputated, but he died around two weeks after the incident from a blood clot.
Several family members testified Thursday sharing their feelings and what life is like without Kaitlyn and Patrick to the judge.
Teresa McAlister, mom to Patrick and grandma to Kaitlyn, said the funeral was the most horrible day of her life.
"There's not a day I don't think about them," McAlister said from the witness stand. "I'll never know what [Kaitlyn] could've been."
McAlister said Kaitlyn would be in the sixth grade today and that since she was taken at the age of four, Kaitlyn never got to start kindergarten. A moment her father was proud of and was looking forward to.
"We were robbed of that opportunity," Robert Oliver, Patrick's older brother told the courtroom as he was recalling the plan the family was working on to get Patrick better before he died.
Robert Oliver is five years older than Patrick and always felt a bond to take care of his baby brother.
"There's no facet of life that hasn't been affected," Robert said.
Mary Ann Mayfield, Oliver's widow and Kaitlyn's mom, also took the witness stand on Thursday. The state attorney showed her photos of her loved ones. Mayfield said they reminded her of "happy memories."
"My favorite people, still are," Mayfield said while describing the photos. "Patrick was goofy and Kaitlyn was becoming her own little girl."
McAlister told the courtroom the loss of life has impacted all of them, but she knows that Mayfield has needed lots of therapy over the six and a half years and rightfully so.
"I have no ambition anymore," Mayfield added as she was talking about what it's been like over the years for her. "All I can do is survive."
Bernal's defense attorney chose to not ask any questions to the victims' family members. However, the defense attorney did ask questions to the two Texas Game Wardens called to the stand.
Brandt Bernstein and Chris Sanchez with the Texas Parks and Wildlife were the two wardens that testified Thursday. They both testified about different encounters they have had with Bernal on the lake since the deadly June 2017 incident.
Warden Bernstein also testified about his investigation into "fraudulent documents" Bernal provided when registering a boat in spring of 2023. He said there were a total of seven fraudulent documents including a bill of sale for the boat.
Bernal is currently out on bond.