Kriti Mehrotra
It was on August 16, 2020, that the entire world turned upside down for Desiray Liner as she found herself fighting for her life against her estranged husband in the middle of nowhere. As explored in Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs Of A Psychopath: A Little Emotionally Unwound,’ Raymond Cervantes was the one to attack her just so he wouldn’t have to pay for his previous offenses. It turns out he had been abusive and controlling for a while, which ultimately resulted in him taking the life of an innocent soul, a dog, before attempting to remove Desiray from the picture altogether.
Desiray Liner’s Assault Was Merciless and Vicious
While the details of precisely when Desiray Liner first came across Raymond Cervantes or tied the knot with him are unclear, we do know the love between them had soured by early 2020. After all, that’s when he had decided to take matters into his own hands following an argument and killed her beloved dog before also ransacking her entire home. That’s when she decided to cut contact with him for good and reported him to the police, just for him to be granted bail a short while later, with the stipulation that he would have to wear a tracking device on his ankles at all times.
However, on the evening of August 6, 2020, Raymond cut off his tracker and contacted his estranged wife, asking her to come over to where he was staying with a promise to pay her for the damages incurred for the attack on his home and dog. Yet, once she arrived at around 9:30 pm, he immediately lured her into a shed and slammed the door on her face before telling her she was going to die that night. According to court records, he then strangled Desiray till she lost consciousness before dragging her away, just for her to wake up, find a knife, and stab him in the leg to get away.
Desiray actually made it to her vehicle before her husband caught up with her, just for him to then drag her back to the shed, grab a clam, and smash her head several times before throwing her phone away. It was then that he pulled her into the passenger seat of her own vehicle before driving away, unaware a witness would soon see her crying and dial 911, reporting precisely where they had turned. Raymond actually took her to a wooded area in Henry County, where he strangled her once more, told her again that she was going to die, and bludgeoned her with a piece of driftwood.
Desiray Liner’s Fight Saved Her Life
There’s no denying that the attack on Desiray was vicious to the extremes, so she was immediately rushed to the hospital when investigators arrived at the scene – by this point, Raymond had fled. She endured several broken bones and a permanent brain injury that caused memory loss, but she continued to fight for her life just as she did in the woods and made a great recovery. She had to relearn basic tasks like eating, talking, and walking again, but she stayed true to herself and her rehab to ensure she was in the best possible shape she could be within months. The sole reason she was able to do so was because she never lost hope, especially once Raymond was arrested for his offenses.
As a result, Raymond was charged with one count each of first-degree kidnapping, attempted murder, disrupting public service, tampering with evidence, and escape, amongst more. He ultimately ended up pleading guilty to several of these counts, and while it did bring Desirat a sense of closure, so also made her feelings clear to him during his sentencing hearing. She said, in part, “I don’t remember a lot of things in my life … but I remember meeting you… I did not deserve for you to decide my life wasn’t worth living anymore. My life forward will be affected by what you did to me.” She also made it clear that while she wants to move on in life, she will never be able to forgive or forget what he did.
Therefore, today, the artistic dog-mom Desiray is seemingly doing her best to keep putting her best foot forward, all the while also continuing her rehab to ensure the pain management doesn’t relapse. From what we can tell, she has since even turned over a new leaf and decided to return to work as a Dental Assistant at Dr. Fatica’s private clinic in Sylvania, Ohio, all the while being surrounded by loved ones. Coming to her personal standing, considering everything she endured and still continues to face, it comes as no surprise she has now chosen to live well away from the limelight.
Raymond Cervantes is Serving His Time Behind Bars
Following Raymond’s guilty plea in Wood County on the charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, felonious assault, disrupting public service, and tampering with evidence, he was sentenced accordingly. Because his charge of escape was dismissed with his plea, he was handed down a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 24 years on the major counts, to run concurrent with his sentences from other counties. In Lucas County, where he had killed his wife’s dog, he was convicted of cruelty against a companion animal and sentenced to a year behind bars, whereas he was convicted of another count of attempted murder in Henry County, for which he received 10-15 years. Therefore, today, at the age of 49, he remains incarcerated at the minimum-to-medium security Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio. As of writing, as per the Ohio Department of Corrections Records, he is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2042.
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