Cid Torrez's Parents Get Supervised Visits With Grandchildren

FORT LAUDERDALE(CBS4) - The parents of Cid Torrez, who is accused of killing his wife after claiming for months that she was still alive, will be allowed to visit his children but there will be restrictions.

Broward Judge Susan Lebow ruled Tuesday that the paternal grandparents of the children, who are 5, 8 and 13, will be allowed to have monthly visits but those visits will be supervised by the Department of Children and Families.

Torrez, who came to court in handcuffs, sat silently in a courtroom as Lebow issued another order, saying that the parents of Villet Torrez were not allowed to discuss any details of this case with the children.

The maternal grandparents currently have custody of the children and they were in the courtroom for the hearing.

Torrez is charged with first degree murder. His wife Villet Torrez has not been seen since March 31st. Her body has never been found.

"There's nothing in this case," said Cid Torrez's aunt, Ruth Lopez. "There is no proof. There is no evidence. There is only circumstantial evidence. I am sure he did not do this. He says he did not. He is not that type of person and he loves his children."

Evidence against Torrez includes testimony that he had been violent with Villet and testimony that specially-trained police dogs detected the odor of human remains in the trunk and back seat of his car.

While he is in jail, Torrez is fighting to have visitation rights with his children.

"They need their father," said Lopez. "They don't have their mother. They need their father."

But on Tuesday, his attorney, Richard Della Fera, said he needed a delay in the trial that would determine dependency for the children. He renewed his demand for discovery in order to look at more evidence and documents.

That trial will start on April 22nd and should last about four days, said Judge Lebow.

"That's not unusual," Della Fera told CBS4's Peter D'Oench. "This is a complicated case. He should be allowed to visit his children. He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And he is the father of the children. There's no reason why he shouldn't be allowed that."

Villet's Torrez's brother Javier Blanco was also in court with Villet's parents. He said the family was opposed to monthly visits by the parents of Cid Torrez.

"I think any contact with the other family is detrimental to the other family as well as to the kids," said Blanco.

There was testimony in court that the children were doing well and were being tutored for school and receiving proper medical and dental care.

"It's absolutely a tough situation," said Blanco. "It's tragic. But I am very optimistic that we will get through this. It think it is all about legacy. The legacy of my sister. We need to respect and everyone needs to understand that."