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SALT LAKE CITY — A mother said the loss of her son on Aug. 19, 2017, was the start of an "endless nightmare" that replays in her mind constantly.
"The agony I carry in my heart is indescribable, as I will forever grapple with the knowledge that his life was brutally stolen from us, leaving behind a void that can never be filled," Melody Ryan said at the sentencing for the man who shot and killed her son, William Ryan, 17, in front of their Magna home.
She said their home became a horror scene, and the family relocated due to the trauma. Ryan said her son's dreams are now shattered alongside their shattered hearts.
After the guilty verdict for Javier Saldana-Ibarra, 24, was read, Melody Ryan said the man's request to embrace his mother was a "cruel mockery" because she is not able to hug her son. She said he has shown no remorse and asked the judge for consecutive sentences for the two main counts.
Saldana-Ibarra, of Woods Cross, was sentenced on Tuesday to 16 years to life in the Utah State Prison for murder with a gang enhancement and six years to life for felony discharge of a firearm, first-degree felonies, in addition to two sentences of three to 15 years in prison for felony discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony.
Third District Judge James Blanch denied requests from the victim's family and the prosecutors for two of the sentences to run consecutively, ruling that all of the prison sentences would be concurrent. He said the lesser charges won't disappear and will be looked at carefully by the Board of Pardons and Parole.
He said if Saldana-Ibarra's trajectory continues, he will not have the ability for parole, and he wanted to give the man an incentive to change his life and give him an opportunity to "put (his) best foot forward" by allowing concurrent sentences.
His attorney, Edwin Wall, said his client was 17 at the time, but now he has realized he needs to change. He asked for concurrent sentences and said it is worth giving Saldana-Ibarra a chance to present his case to the board because it will keep him motivated.
"He was young, he was naive, he was foolish, he was involved in a gang," he said.
Saldana-Ibarra said he has learned a lot over his six years of incarceration.
Deputy Salt Lake County attorney Rick Pehrson said this shooting, which had multiple victims and other potential victims, was not an isolated act, but Saldana-Ibarra was involved in a pellet gun shooting at the Ryan home previously and a car wash shooting a week before this incident.
"This is the culmination of what was months of violence," he said.
A 19-year-old was shot in the foot during the same incident that took Ryan's life. He told officers a white Volkswagen Jetta approached the driveway at Ryan's home where he, Ryan and two others were standing, charging documents state. Both driver's side windows were rolled down and witnesses reported between six and 10 shots from the vehicle.
Corey Ryan said his son had a future filled with promise and was loyal to family and friends. He asked the court to consider the impact of his loss on their family when considering justice in the case.
He talked about a bond with his son that was beyond the ordinary and said his son had a tapestry of dreams and aspirations and was making plans to be a mechanic. He wanted to break free from his gang association, Corey Ryan said.
Saldana-Ibarra spoke at the sentencing expressing condolences and said it was tragic that William Ryan lost his life so early. He expressed hope to be allowed freedom someday and said he has learned a lot during six years of incarceration in this case.
His attorney said that Saldana-Ibarra plans to appeal his conviction.
