An East Boston man was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for pummeling his estranged wife to death the day before Easter last year, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
Whitney Baskin, 46, was with his wife, Velveena, 38, and their children as they prepared for the holiday dinner at the family's home on Condor Street when Baskin lured his wife into her bedroom under the pretense of having a private talk, Conley said.
He locked the door, turned up the volume on her stereo, and severely beat her until she was unconscious, Conley said.
He then walked past the couple's children in the living room and fled in a sport utility vehicle that his wife had rented, Conley said.
Velveena Baskin was found near death by her children a short time later, face down on her bed and bleeding, Conley said. She died the next day.
"When my mother passed away, my whole world started to crumble," Patricia Dodson, Baskin's 22-year-old daughter, said in a victim's statement. "She was the glue that held everyone together."
Police arrested Baskin 12 hours after the beating. He may be eligible for parole in 15 years.
KHRISTOPHER FLACK
