00:00is wrapped up for a ball of a man convicted of raping seven women.
00:03Fox 2's Chris Renier is live in Clayton with how much prison time he was given.
00:07Oh my God, 300 years.
00:10Chris.
00:13Tiger, morning once again to you.
00:14We are just out in front of the St. Louis County Courthouse here in Clayton.
00:17Within the past hour, Judge Ellen Rubato.
00:20Judge did something very good thing, but it is out of the human expectations and any human can do.
00:27Sentencing Yahya Mali to 291 years in prison in connection with multiple rapes of multiple women.
00:37This case has been ongoing now since basically last year.
00:42Yes, it's been almost one year and there we have a sentence.
00:46When the prosecution started, there was a conviction in April.
00:50Now the sentencing today.
00:52We can show you some photos of Yahya Mali.
00:55This is the convicted, oh my God, Yahya Mali.
01:00And then some other video associated with the case in terms of the courtroom situation.
01:04He was convicted of 17 out of 21 counts in April, including nine counts,
01:12which had with them the potential of a life sentence.
01:16There were four.
01:17Okay, pronounced Yahya Mali.
01:19He also uses the name John on dating apps.
01:22Four counts of first degree rape and five counts of first degree sodomy or statutory sodomy.
01:28He was also convicted of...
01:29My God, how horrific this man can be.
01:32How horrific.
01:33...counts of second degree rape.
01:35At the sentencing hearing this morning, Judge Rubato gave Yahya Mali, who is now 30 years old,
01:42life sentences on all of the first degree charges, the four rape charges and the five sodomy charges.
01:49Life sentence.
01:50Oh my God, he's only 30 years old.
01:52And there were some concurrent and consecutive sentences in connection with the second degree rape charges.
01:58But bottom line, he received 291 years, so he will be spending the rest of his life in prison.
02:06Yes, this is good.
02:07Almost 300.
02:08This all goes back to between February of 2023 and basically February of 2025,
02:14when Mali was convicted of raping seven different women.
02:19Seven.
02:19Seven.
02:20Oh my God.
02:21All of those women testified at the trial.
02:24Two of them were here today.
02:26Good.
02:27All of them are testified.
02:28On this, his trials, this horrific monster's trial, good to be that brave.
02:34For the sentencing, there were other written victim impact statements turned in to Judge Rubato as well.
02:41Mali did speak in court.
02:43He was in prison garb with handcuffs and shackles on.
02:46He continued to maintain his innocence and that he believes he did nothing wrong and there was no crime here.
02:53But he is the main suspect.
02:55He is the one who did all this.
02:57We spoke just a short time ago with a couple of the victims from this case about their strength.
03:05They wanting to be here today to see this through.
03:08You'll hear from them later.
03:09Do we have the video of them?
03:10You're on Fox 2 News, but we do have some sound we want to play from you from Melissa Price
03:16-Smith, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney.
03:19She called the victims in this case superheroes.
03:22Yes, yes, they are superheroes.
03:25Yes, yes, they are superheroes.
03:25They come and talk about their things.
03:28Some others do not have courage, bravery to do all these things.
03:33Who made what she called an unprecedented sentence possible.
03:37Here is some of what Melissa Price-Smith just told us.
03:40Yes, please.
03:41A short time ago.
03:42Please.
03:42This is a great day.
03:44There is finally justice for these women.
03:47I've been.
03:48She is not the victim herself, but she is the Melissa Price-Smith, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Season.
03:55Here 19 years, I've never seen a sentence like this.
03:58These, it's hard for a victim to come forward.
04:02And these women came forward anyway.
04:04They used their voice, the power of their voice to say this isn't okay.
04:07Something has to be done.
04:09Something has to be done.
04:10Yes.
04:12We also got a statement from Maui's attorney.
04:15Okay, okay.
04:16This is, oh my God.
04:17Morning, his name is Mark Hammer.
04:20Here is some of what Hammer told us.
04:22This is his statement.
04:23He would not go on camera, but instead gave us a statement saying,
04:26We respect that the jury has spoken and that the court has pronounced what it believes is a fair and
04:32just sentence.
04:34Mr. Maui maintains a firm belief in his innocence and intends to.
04:37Oh my God, he's not even, he's not even accepting this thing.
04:41He said, I'm innocent and all, oh wow, wow.
04:45Appeal his conviction, which is his right.
04:47What's happening in this country?
04:49Therefore, we will have no further comments at this time.
04:53Maui was then taken.
04:53But he's only getting money and he can say anything, anything for money.
04:58Out of the court after the sentencing, again in handcuffs and shackles to be remanded in custody,
05:03where he will start serving this 290-year sentence.
05:08We will see what happens with the appeals going forward.
05:11Anything can happen in the appeal.
05:13I mean, they can make him, yes, they can make him innocent.
05:17Oh wow, wow.
05:18But again, Melissa Price-Smith confident that these convictions will hold and the two victims who we spoke with afterward
05:26saying that they felt they had to be here today to make their voices hurt.
05:33Great, brave, brave, brave, brave.
