Sharon Ostman was found beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted early July 11, 2005, in San Luis Obispo Creek near Mission Plaza.
Nearly three years after the slaying, Freddie Joe Lewis was arrested for her murder. He was sentenced to serve life in prison after pleading no contest -- which results in a conviction without admitting guilt -- to second-degree murder. He is not eligible for parole until he has served 15 years.
Suspect in mom’s death long known to Paso Robles police
Los Osos woman dies; murder charge filed against son
Elderly woman killed in SLO house fire was well liked in the area
Top 10 Stories of 2011: No. 1 — SLO County ends year with 5 homicides
Woman accused of killing mother gets disruptive in court, officials say
Check out our photo gallery of people arrested in SLO County on suspicion of committing felonies and read about their alleged crimes. See photos »
Lewis had originally pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, sexual penetration by a foreign object and being a habitual sex offender, according to court records.
Right before his trial was scheduled to begin, he changed his plea.
Ostman was a 59-year-old homeless woman who friends said was known for her kindness and generosity.
"I didn't meet anyone she didn't feed or buy coffee for out of her own pocket," Denise Mondragon said shortly after Ostman's murder. "Everyone's had a moment with her."
Peter Schustack said he first met Ostman when she offered to walk him home. Schustack is visually impaired.
"Boy I tell you," he added, "I will miss her very much."
San Luis Obispo resident Jennifer Pitts said she organized a vigil after Ostman was found dead as a way to remember a woman she felt compelled to reach out to but never knew well.
"I just felt it was necessary for her and for her community," Pitts said before the vigil began. Ostman's death "was horrific and tragic, and I didn't want that to be the last memory of her."
Pitts said she saw Ostman every day at the post office on Marsh Street and would often stop and say hello.
Ostman's body was found largely unclothed in the creek by a local man who was walking through the Mission Plaza.
Police never reported a motive in the case. But evidence found at the scene included an eyeglass lens that matched Lewis' and his DNA underneath Ostman's fingernails, which had been submerged in the creek for hours, according to Deputy District Attorney Lee Cunningham.
Lewis had also told investigators three different versions of his whereabouts or interactions with Ostman the day of the murder.
SanLuisObispo.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. See our full terms of service here.
Here are some rules of the road:
You should also know that The Tribune does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at webmaster@thetribunenews.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the username of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to webmaster@thetribunenews.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
Be the first to know what's going on in San Luis Obispo County. Just tell us how you want to find out — we'll take care of the rest.
Sign up for breaking news alerts from SanLuisObispo.com and get the latest news sent to your cell phone via text message.
By signing up for alerts from this site, you are signing up for a program that may include up to 5 SMS text alert(s) per alert category per day. There is no service fee charged per month but your carrier's standard text messaging and other charges may apply. You may stop this subscription service at any time by sending the text message "STOP" to 72737. You must be at least thirteen (13) years of age to use our alert services. If you are between 13 and 17 years old, you agree that you have received parental permission both to complete the registration process and to receive SMS content on your cell phone. For help, send the text message "HELP" to 72737. This service will work with ATT, Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, Alltell, US Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, Boost, Virgin Mobile USA, Celluar South, Telos, Centennial, East Kentucky Network, Cellcom, Immix and Rural Celluar.
E-mail »
Twitter »
Facebook »
iTribune »
Subscribe »
RSS »
About comments
Reader comments on SanLuisObispo.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Tribune. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.