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A California man has been sentenced to more than three decades behind bars for killing a father of five.
And if anyone was expecting Damien Murphy to express remorse during his sentencing hearing, they were in for a disturbing surprise.
Murphy was sentenced to 32 years in state prison Thursday for the October 2023 shooting death of William Carney in Fresno, California (per The New York Post).
But it wasn’t simply the lengthy prison sentence that made headlines. Murphy’s comments to the court afterward left Carney’s grieving family with another painful reminder of the man responsible for their loss.
Carney was less than a month away from celebrating his 40th birthday when he was killed. He left behind five children, including a daughter who delivered an emotional statement about the future she would never get to share with her father.
“It was like all my dreams died at once,” Carney’s daughter Essence told the court.
She explained that her father would never get to experience some of the most important milestones in her life.
“My dad won’t ever see me on prom day. He can never walk me down the aisle on my wedding day and cry, seeing how much I’ve grown,” she said.
Carney’s mother also spoke about the devastating impact of losing her son.
“My life simply no longer holds the happiness it once had. The joy that used to come naturally has been replaced by grief,” she told the court.
More than a dozen friends and relatives attended the hearing, with loved ones spending over 20 minutes describing the pain Murphy’s actions had caused.
According to ABC30, Murphy showed virtually no reaction throughout the emotional statements.
One of Carney’s childhood friends, Adam, even told Murphy directly that he couldn’t bring himself to hate him.
“I can’t hate you because I know you’re suffering more than he is, and that brings me peace of mind,” he said.
The judge also addressed Murphy, expressing hope that the defendant would spend his 32 years in prison thinking about the damage he had caused.
“I hope every second of your 32 years, you think about William and his family and the damage you’ve caused,” the judge said.
Murphy was then given an opportunity to address the court. Unfortunately, his response offered little comfort to the people who had just described their unimaginable loss.
“I would apologize, but I’m not going to apologize for protecting my family. I’d do it a million times,” Murphy declared.
The judge subsequently urged him to reconsider his position and develop some remorse for his actions.
In September, Murphy pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, avoiding a first-degree murder conviction and securing a lower sentence than he otherwise could have faced.
He was denied probation and must return to court in December for a restitution hearing.
For Carney’s loved ones, the sentencing brings an end to more than three years of waiting for justice. But 32 years behind bars won’t give five children their father back.
And Murphy’s declaration certainly didn’t make that loss any easier.
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