3 of the ‘Manila 5’ convicts sentenced
Prison terms set for 4 to 27 years
Three of the five individuals involved in the death of a 20-yearold man three years ago were sentenced to prison Monday morning for lengths of time ranging from four years to 27 years.
Brandon James Mitchell, 25, was sentenced to a total of 27 years for carjacking and voluntary manslaughter with a special enhancement for using a firearm. Hector Godoy-Standley, 24, received four years for being an accessory to the crime after the fact with a special enhancement for a firearm being used. Tamara Thomson, 21, was sentenced to 14 years for voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm.
None of the people sentenced are over the age of 25 and were younger when the crime occurred, said Judge Christopher Wilson, but their adolescent decisions resulted in the loss of a life and shattered several lives across the board.
All three defendants reached plea agreements for the charges related to the killing of Tyson Eduardo Claros, 20, on Dec. 12, 2016. Cesar Octavio Valenzuela, 26, is being charged with the actual murder and has yet to stand trial and Catherine Suzanne Lynn Fode, 22, remains in jail waiting to testify against
him.
Fode is believed to have orchestrated the murder after coming to believe Claros had molested her 3-year-old daughter, which was never proven in court. She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a special allegation that a firearm was used in exchange for her testimony against her co-defendants in court.
The courtroom was packed with family and friends of Claros, who were frequently in tears, as well as some family and friends of the defendants.
All of Claros’ parents were present in court and three of them — his mother, stepfather and stepmother — read statements about how their son’s murder has shattered their families and
been an ongoing nightmare. Claros’ father, Eddie Claros, had planned to address the court, but was too overcome with emotion to speak.
“Tyson was everyone’s friend,” said his mother Christina Dennison, and he would have done anything for them, which is what got him killed.
Just before he was killed, he and his girlfriend had just gotten their own apartment and were making plans for their future, Dennison said, but now all those aspirations are gone.
She recalled how Claros loved to ride skateboards, shoot hoops and sing loudly even if he wasn’t good at it. Now he won’t get to experience family milestones, like his elder sister getting married and the birth of her first child, Dennison said.
“I miss hearing his voice and seeing his face,” Dennison said.
Thomson, the only defendant to address the court, read a statement saying six families were affected by this tragedy, but one more than others, before reading a quote from author Tahereh Mafi.
“On the darkest days, you have to search for a spot of brightness,” Thomson read. “On the coldest days, you have to seek out a spot of warmth. On the bleakest days, you have to keep your eyes onward and upward. And on the saddest days, you have to leave them open to let them cry.”