John Weston Erickson Jr, a 43-year-old father in Utah is facing a possible life in prison after confessing to a heart-wrenching crime.
He admitted to killing his wife in a gruesome attack, where he stabbed her and slashed her throat right in front of their two young children.
The younger child tried to intervene and protect her mother, but she was injured by her dad during the brutal incident.
The judge, Richard McKelvie from the Third District Court, has handed down a sentence of 15 years to life in prison for this heinous act.
Erickson pleaded guilty on June 5 to a first-degree felony murder charge, acknowledging that he had murdered his wife, Utahna Halona, in October 2020.
This tragic incident happened right in front of their two children, who were just 7 and 11 years old at the time.
Responding to a 911 call on October 28, 2020, officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department arrived at the family's home.
Inside, they found Halona lying on the floor of the master bedroom, surrounded by a significant amount of blood.
Erickson was also in the same room, suffering from deep cuts on his neck and arms.
He claimed that he had inflicted these wounds on himself in an attempt to end his own life.
The 7-year-old daughter, who was covered in blood, told investigators that she had rushed into the room when she heard her mother's screams.
She witnessed her father attacking her mother with a knife.
In her brave attempt to help her mother, she got hurt too, suffering severe injuries to her fingers that required surgery.
After she realised that she couldn't save her mother alone, the young girl alerted her older brother.
However, her elder brother couldn't stop their father's violent assault. SO hee ran to a neighbor's house and asked them to call the police.
Erickson reportedly admitted to authorities that he "snapped" and attacked his wife out of anger.
During the court hearing, the victims loved ones paid tribute to her life, and expressed their grief over her loss.
District Attorney Sim Gill extended his gratitude to the prosecutors and law enforcement officers for their dedication in bringing Erickson to justice.
Utahna's mother, Shirlee Silversmith, spoke in court, revealing that the two surviving children are deeply affected by the traumatic event they witnessed.
Before delivering the sentence, Judge McKelvie strongly condemned Erickson's actions, expressing that what he did was beyond comprehension and that he had forever changed the lives of his family members.
In another news, a former bakery owner has been sentenced to prison for using the identity of a deceased baby and swindling $1.5 million in relief funds. You can find the full story with all the details here.
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