Erin Moriarty

Ahead of the sentencing, the judge heard from members of Claudia and Chip's family who talked about the deep losses they had suffered.

Victoria Heard detailed the trauma that the family experienced and told the court that her sister Laura had, quote, lost her mind to grief after discovering the bodies and had still not recovered by the time of the trial.

Victoria also recalled having to tell her children about their grandmother's murder and how they sobbed and screamed in heartbreak.

Victoria's message to the court was that, quote, If Daniel is free, people will die.

Another son, another daughter, another father, mother, brother, sister will suffer as I have.

Therefore, in honor of my mother, Claudia Maupin, and the legacy of love that she left behind for us, it is my belief that the loving, compassionate action in this situation would be to request from the court the maximum sentence allowable for the torture and murder of my mother and her husband, Chip Northup.

And then the judge handed Daniel a sentence that prosecutor Amanda Zambor had been working to secure for weeks.

The judge sentenced Daniel Marsh to 52 years.

Were you happy with that?

The prosecution had succeeded in their effort to put Daniel behind bars for a long, long time.

When asked for comment on the case and sentencing, Daniel's lawyers declined.

While Daniel had been handed the longest sentence possible, he still would be eligible for parole in 25 years.

But in the meantime, the victim's families could take time to breathe.

But it wasn't over yet, was it?

It was not over.

Not by a long shot.

Because four years later, Victoria and the rest of Chip and Claudia's family would find themselves fighting again as a new California law threatened to let Daniel go free much earlier than the judge had ordered.

That's next on 15, Inside the Daniel Marsh Murders.

This series was reported by me, Erin Moriarty.

Alan Pang is our producer.