A man from California found himself facing a serious sentence for a horrific crime – the killing of his girlfriend using an ice ax at a relative's house, where painters showed up to finish a job and stumbled upon the gruesome scene.
Daniel Gunnarsson, aged 23, received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison, along with an additional two years and four months, as reported by KGET-TV from the courtroom.
Gunnarsson was convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and mutilation of a corpse in the death of 21-year-old Katie Pham by a Kern County jury on August 30, according to a press release from the Kern County District Attorney's Office.
On May 18, 2021, the Kern County Sheriff's Office received a call about an incident at a Ridgecrest, California, home. Deputies arrived to find a woman, later identified as Pham, with injuries to her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and Gunnarsson was arrested on a murder charge the same day.
According to the District Attorney's Office, Gunnarsson and Pham had been in a romantic relationship for about a month before the murder. Prosecutors claimed that Gunnarsson had displayed hostility towards Pham and showed signs of what his friends believed to be suicidal behavior.
On the morning of the killing, Gunnarsson went to his stepfather's house in Ridgecrest and discussed his deteriorating relationship with Pham. He called her, apologized, picked her up from her apartment, and brought her back to his stepfather's place.
Upon their arrival, Gunnarsson led Pham into the RV garage. Painters who had come to work at the house later reported hearing a woman's screams and some noise like items being moved. About an hour later, the painters opened the garage door, only to discover Pham's lifeless body on a mattress topper and Gunnarsson covered in blood.
According to the District Attorney's Office, Pham was partially undressed and lying face down. The painters sought assistance from Gunnarsson's stepfather and called 911.
Evidence presented in court suggested that Gunnarsson put on gloves, which were found at the scene, and used a 24-inch-long ice ax to strike Pham more than 10 times in the head, face, and neck. After the murder, he repositioned Pham's body and behaved inappropriately.
"Sheila Rockwell, Pham's grandmother, told KGET-TV, 'Only a monster would do such a thing.'"
Loved ones of Pham remembered her as a hardworking young woman who had a deep love for animals.
According to KGET-TV, Gunnarsson's defense attorney argued that someone else might have entered the garage and committed the crime.
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