Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — When Paul Michael Mumford was asked if he had any words for the family of his victims, it was one of the very few times during his hourlong parole hearing that he initially seemed to be at a loss for words.
"Sorry doesn't even cut it. What do you even say? I've been thinking for 10 years," he told the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Tuesday. "I took so much from them."
On July 4, 2014, while driving home from Wendover, the West Jordan man drove the wrong way on I-80 and crashed head-on into another vehicle. Utah Highway Patrol troopers believe each vehicle was traveling an estimated 80 mph at the time of impact with neither showing signs of braking.
Delphine John, 44, of Farmington, and her daughters Delilah Ramirez, 20, and 3-year-old Anaya Adame Orozco, were killed in the crash. Jose Fidel Adame-Orozco suffered a collapsed lung, two broken ribs and a broken leg. Mumford was so intoxicated that he had to ask troopers at the hospital if anyone was injured. Even the Tooele County attorney admitted that Mumford sincerely seemed unable to recall what happened that night.
He was charged with three counts of murder, or in the alternative manslaughter and automobile homicide. He was convicted of two counts of manslaughter and automobile homicide just two months later and sentenced to what amounts to at least two years and up to 30 years in prison.
During his first parole hearing on Tuesday, Mumford, now 47, was very talkative, sometimes even rambling, as he seemed both a bit nervous and anxious in explaining how sorry he was for his crime. He also spoke several times about the emotional weight he says he had been carrying with him that caused him to drink heavily up until the day of the crash.
"Everything just fell apart. My drinking ruined everything," he said. "My biggest mistake was not knowing that I wasn't OK and not asking for help, and it drove me to being a raging alcoholic."
Mumford talked about witnessing the gruesome death of a co-worker two years earlier while the two were working on heavy machinery, as well as having a rough childhood that he said included being shot at by his stepfather. He said the death of his co-worker, in particular, drove him to heavily drink, and on Tuesday admitted he couldn't remember the crash at all.
"To not be able to give my victims' family an explanation of what happened that day breaks my heart," he said, and then became emotional adding, "To make mistakes is to be human, but that was 100% avoidable."
"How could I have been so stupid?" he questioned out loud during one of his more rambling moments. "I should have listened 15 years before all this crap happened … and the things that you can't take back. ... There's no way to say 'I'm sorry' to this."
Mumford several times made statements to the board such as, "I owe this pound of flesh." But also commented about how much he wants to get out of prison and believes he would be better able to contribute to society if he is released.
"There's nothing you can ask me to do that I won't absolutely knock out of the park," he told the board.
At the end of the hearing, board Chairman Scott Stephenson said no matter how the full board votes, he advised Mumford that he may want to seek counseling to help him with any issues from his childhood that may still be affecting him.
The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole. A decision is expected in a couple of weeks.
