Kent woman sentenced for murdering daughter in Renton

A Kent woman who in 2018 killed her daughter after tying up her son and husband has been sentenced to almost 32 and a half years in prison.

On May 2, Svetlana Laurel, 58, whose last known address was in Kent, was sentenced to 390 months in prison for shooting and killing her daughter, Natalie Gulizia, 14, in Renton on Dec. 18, 2018.

In addition to killing her daughter, court documents state that Laurel also bound her 12-year-old son and ex-husband with zip ties, then attempted to shoot and kill her ex-husband, but the gun jammed.

Laurel was originally charged with first-degree aggravated domestic violence murder, first-degree domestic violence attempted murder and first-degree domestic violence kidnapping. After a plea agreement where Laurel pleaded guilty to all charges as amended, her charges were amended to second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and unlawful imprisonment.

According to King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Don Raz, representing the state in this case, this plea secured a conviction that cannot be appealed. Raz said at trial, a conviction is not guaranteed, so the plea guaranteed she serve time and closed the case for the victims.

Raz said Laurel was given 390 months, which could only be reduced 10% with good time, so she will not get out of prison, should she survive, until she is 81-years-old.

Regarding the timeline for a conviction, Raz said this case took over six years to complete due to Laurel’s defense exploring a mental health defense, requiring testing, which was slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Raz said that testing was not completed until 2024. He said she also changed attorneys twice, further delaying the process.

According to documents, the state requested that Laurel serve about 39 years. The state said that to keep the public safe, Laurel should not be released from prison prematurely, as she carried out these actions because of animus toward her husband. The state said that anyone whom Laurel perceives as having crossed her, or whom she believes to be the source of her problem, is not safe.

“The extreme nature of the violence the defendant perpetrated against her own children establishes that the defendant is not a person who can be trusted to live safely in public,” according to documents filed by the state. “If violence and trauma that she inflicted upon Natalie and NMG was driven by her extreme animus against her ex-husband Mike, he is certainly not safe if the defendant is released prematurely from prison.”

Laurel’s defense asked for an exceptional sentence of 20 years, arguing that she did not have the capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct. The state, in opposition, argued that Laurel had carefully planned out the attack, buying zip ties and a gun before the incident, showing she had the capacity to appreciate her wrongfulness.

In his victim impact statement, Natalie Gulizia’s brother stated that he’s traumatized for life from his sister’s murder. He said that he still has flashbacks of seeing blood spill out of his sister after she was shot, but he has very little recollection of the events after the murder.

Natalie Gulizia’s brother stated that his sister was his role model, and he copied everything she did. He said her goal was to become a doctor, so now, that’s what he will do.

“Experiencing gun violence is one thing, but it being perpetrated by your own mother is different,” he said. “It changed how I saw her, what she was capable of bringing herself to do, and made me question the love she felt for her children.”

Details of the case

According to charging documents, Laurel and Michael Gulizia divorced in 2016 and shared two kids. Documents state that Laurel had primary custody of the two children, but after some incidents, Michael Gulizia had gained full custody of the kids, and Laurel could only have supervised visits with them. Documents state that the pair did not have an amicable divorce.

According to documents, on Dec. 18, 2018, at Michael Gulizia’s Renton home in the 4000 block of Smithers Avenue South, Laurel had approached their son while Michael and Natalie Gulizia were out of the home. Documents state that Laurel then brought their son a bag with wrapped Christmas gifts, which turned out to be their son’s old clothes.

Documents state that Laurel then locked the doors in the house and bound their son with zip ties. According to documents, she also put a sock in his mouth and covered his mouth with duct tape. Documents state that she then questioned him for about two hours before Michael and Natalie Gulizia returned home.

“During this period Svetlana talked about many things and specifically brought up court and his father and how his father was ruining her life,” documents state. “The son later stated that he did not understand what she was talking about.”

Documents state that Michael and Natalie Gulizia arrived home, and when they entered, they were surprised to see Laurel and asked her why she was there. Documents state that Laurel did not live at the home and had last stopped by about eight months earlier to drop off items.

According to documents, Laurel then began tasering Michael Gulizia and forced him to bind himself with zip ties after repeatedly tasering him. Documents state that Natalie Gulizia then ran to her room and called 911.

According to documents, Laurel then pulled a gun out, hit Michael Gulizia with it, and told him that she was going to ruin his life. Documents state that Laurel then went upstairs to Natalie Gulizia’s room, and the conversation they had could be heard through a 911 call.

Documents state that Natalie Gulizia could be heard asking Laurel what the point of all this was, and Laurel told her to stop asking questions. She then told her that if she did not stop asking questions, her head would be gone.

“Svetlana can be heard being very upset that Natalie Gulizia called 911 and at one point said something to Natalie Gulizia that ended with ‘blow your head off,’” documents state. “Shortly after that comment was made, the sound of zip ties being secured can be heard.”

Documents state that Michael Gulizia heard a single gunshot, and Laurel then went back downstairs and attempted to shoot him, but the gun jammed. Documents state that Michael Gulizia then freed his hands from the zip ties and slammed Laurel’s head into the wall before he and his son escaped the home.

Officers entered the home and found Natalie Gulizia with a gunshot wound between her eyes. Documents state that there was a pool of blood next to her and a spent shell casing.