El Cajon

A former manager of the Linda Turman Guest Home in El Cajon, where three residents died in a fire, was sentenced Friday to two years in state prison.

San Diego Superior Court Judge William Kennedy rejected a request for probation for Nayoma Raleigh, 41, of El Cajon, who was convicted Oct. 24 of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Her husband, Norman Raleigh; her sister, Judy Thomas, and other relatives in the courtroom appeared stunned at the sentence.

“Lives were lost here that should not have been lost,” Kennedy said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Wayne Mayer told the judge that Raleigh’s “neglect and inattention” to the home’s fire alarm system “was a direct contributing factor” in the deaths. Investigators found after the Feb. 6 fire that the system had been shut off.

Raleigh’s attorney, Pamela Slick, argued that there was no need to impose a prison sentence, saying “she is locked in a prison of her own soul.”

“She made a great and terrible mistake on how she handled the alarm system,” Slick said. “She loved her clients. She looked at them as children. Mrs. Raleigh will always punish herself.”

Killed in the fire were Mark Buis, 33; Patty Melton, 33, and Pietra Corrao, 47. Raleigh was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in Buis’ death.

Awaiting trial Dec. 8 on arson and murder charges is David Giles, 20, a former resident of the home.

Citing the psychological problems Nayoma Raleigh has suffered since she was charged, Kennedy said she “presents a pathetic picture.” But he said he couldn’t ignore her “open neglect” of the alarm system.

Kennedy sentenced Raleigh under a law that allows him to review and reduce the sentence if prison officials make such a recommendation. He imposed two years on one count and ordered an additional year to run concurrently. She could have received six years in prison.