By Michael Koberlein
In a capital-murder case, Judge Samuel McVey sentenced Seth Rollins Broomhead to life in prison without parole in 4th District Court on Monday.
Broomhead, 21, pleaded guilty prior to his sentencing to the June 2003 murders of Maritza Aguilar, 22, and Pablo Montoya, 20, during a drug transaction at a Orem orchard involving nine ounces of cocaine.
?If he behaves well, he may be able to work his way into general population,? Gale said, referring to Broomhead?s sentence. ?When it starts out, he?ll be locked down 23 hours a day.?
Gale said about 28 people share the same sentence of life without parole in the Utah State Penitentiary. He said each day security releases three of them within the prison for recreation, surrounded by cement walls.
?If they look up they can see the sky,? Gale said.
During the sentencing trial, McVey said the sentencing properly addressed the needs of justice and he expressed sorrow to the families involved in the case.
Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor said Aguilar?s family wanted to present a statement.
Angel Aguilar, Maritza?s brother, walked to the podium with a typed statement in hand. Before he started to read the statement, he began to cry and his brother David Aguilar stood to read it.
?As a family we feel Seth Broomhead took my sister?s chance away to say ?hey this is not the path I want to take in my life,? David said.
He said the request of his family would be that Broomhead not be given a chance for parole even for good behavior, and if the possibility arose for parole, they would request notification.
Afterward, Seth Broomhead stood up to make a statement.
?I know that there?s nothing in this world that I can do about the things that have happened,? Broomhead said, choking on his tears. ?There?s no way to go back in time. If there was I would do a lot of things .?
He then looked over to the Aguilar family, his eyes wet with tears, and said he was sorry.
?I?ve caused a lot of people a lot of pain,? Broomhead said. ?Now I live with it every day. Now I will for the rest of my life. There?s nothing else I can do, or say.?