Man sentenced to 34 years for crimes including woman’s death
36 Comments | Email | Print | 2949 views Tahlia Ganser | Skagit Valley Herald
June 27, 2009 - 01:00 AM

Matt Wallis

Ricardo Mejia-Cruz was sentenced Friday to 34 years in prison for a handful of felonies, including the murder of 84-year-old Clara Thorp.
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MOUNT VERNON — A judge sentenced a 24-year-old Sedro-Woolley man to 34 years in prison Friday, calling him a “commercial for how you shouldn’t live your life.”

“For a 24-year-old man, this criminal record could be the biggest one I’ve ever seen,” said Skagit County Superior Court Judge John Meyer, who has been on the bench for 15 years.

Meyer sentenced Ricardo Mejia-Cruz to the top of his range for the murder of 84-year-old Clara Thorp.

Mejia invaded Thorp’s Burlington home as he fled police in September 2007. He caused her to fall and break her hip, and she died months later of complications from her injuries.

Mejia had pleaded guilty in March to seven felonies, including burglary and second-degree murder.

He has been in and out of jail regularly since his teen years and already had 10 felonies prior to these latest.

Before he was sentenced, Mejia stood up in court to apologize for his life of crime, drugs and gang banging.

“I know I’m a monster, I know you guys hate me,” he told Thorp’s family. “I hate myself for the things I’ve done.”

Thorp’s son, granddaughter and great-grandson were in the courtroom for the sentencing. A statement from her children was read in court and included that the victim’s family had “watched her go through so much pain she didn’t deserve.”





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Well said evilwman. Hopefully that will sink in.

Posted July 10, 2009 - 11:03 AM by AmericanSDL.com

dj-defkawn,

The “for examples” you give are meaningless.  The teacher would be molesting INNOCENT children.  The Dr.…

Posted July 10, 2009 - 10:30 AM by evilwman

Also speaking from the experience of being a young African American who formerly lived in the Central District of Seattle, where a number of unarmed…

Posted July 10, 2009 - 08:54 AM by dj-defkawn


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