Sentencing in Mandy Steingasser murder case

Niagara County District Attorney Brian D. Seaman announced Friday that Joseph H. Belstadt, after being convicted of the 1993 murder of Mandy Steingasser, was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, by the Hon. Michael Mohun.

Seaman said, “Joseph Belstadt eluded responsibility for this horrific crime for 28 years. He was sentenced today for strangling Mandy Steingasser to death. No amount of jail time can return Ms. Steingasser, but the sentence hopefully will allow Mandy’s family and the community to begin the healing process that was stolen from them years ago when Mandy was violently killed.”

The Niagara County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the following agencies for “their tireless efforts, painstaking investigation and dedication to bring forth the conviction of Joseph Belstadt for the murder of Mandy Steingasser”: the North Tonawanda Police Department, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, the Niagara County Forensic Laboratory, the City of Tonawanda Police Department, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the Buffalo field office of the FBI, and the Town of Amherst Police Department.

A press release stated, “The determination to seek justice for Mandy never faded, and the District Attorney’s Office is grateful for the cooperation of all of the witnesses and law enforcement agencies who pursued this case with passion and empathy.”