Current:Home > ScamsTeen gets 40 years in prison for Denver house fire that killed 5 from Senegal-LoTradeCoin
Teen gets 40 years in prison for Denver house fire that killed 5 from Senegal
View Date:2025-01-11 15:19:11
DENVER (AP) — One of three teenagers charged with starting a Denver house fire that killed five people — apparently out of revenge for a stolen cellphone that was mistakenly traced to the home — was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison.
Gavin Seymour, 19, pleaded guilty in January to one count of second-degree murder for his role in the Aug. 5, 2020, fire that killed five members of a Senegalese family. Denver District Court Judge Karen Brody sentenced him to the maximum possible term he faced, The Denver Post reported.
“This is a tragedy that is, I’m sure for everyone involved, incomprehensible,” Brody said. “There was a loss of the most innocent of lives.”
Seymour and two other teenagers — Kevin Bui and Dillon Siebert — were charged with setting the fire in the middle of the night, killing family members Djibril Diol, 29; Adja Diol, 23; Khadija Diol, 1; Hassan Diol, 25; and 6-month-old Hawa Baye. Three other people escaped by jumping from the second floor of the home.
Siebert, who was 14 at the time of the fire, was 17 when he was sentenced in February 2023 to three years in juvenile detention and seven years in a state prison program for young inmates. Seymour and Bui, who is accused of being the ringleader, were both 16 at the time of the fire. The case against Bui, who faces multiple counts of first-degree murder, is still pending.
The investigation of the fire dragged on for months without any leads. Fears that the blaze had been a hate crime led many Senegalese immigrants to install security cameras at their homes in case they could also be targeted.
“Even if you kill five sheep or goats, you should get a maximum sentence,” relative Hanady Diol told the court Friday through a translator over the phone from Senegal. “This person here, they are talking about 40 or 30 years. That just means there is no justice there. There is no judging that the people who died are human beings.”
The boys were identified as suspects after police obtained a search warrant asking Google for which accounts had searched the home’s address within 15 days of the fire.
Bui told investigators he had been robbed the month before the fire while trying to buy a gun and had traced his iPhone to the home using an app, court records said. He admitted setting the fire, only to find out the next day through news coverage that the victims were not the people who robbed him, according to police.
Attorneys for Seymour and Bui challenged the search warrant, but the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the search for this case. Bui is next due in court on March 21, according to The Denver Post.
Seymour apologized in court Friday for his role in the fire.
“If I could go back and prevent all this I would,” he said. “There is not a moment that goes by that I don’t feel extreme guilt and remorse for my actions. … I want to say how truly sorry I am to the family members and community for all the harm I’ve done.”
veryGood! (3336)
Related
- Elon Musk says 'SNL' is 'so mad' Trump won as he slams Dana Carvey's impression
- Alabama lawmakers advance bill to define sex based on reproductive systems, not identity
- Congress is already gearing up for the next government funding fight. Will this time be any different?
- Surprise! CBS renews 'S.W.A.T.' for Season 8 a month before final episode was set to air
- Ex-Marine misused a combat technique in fatal chokehold of NYC subway rider, trainer testifies
- Phoenix officer fired over 2022 fatal shooting of a rock-throwing suspect
- Kansas City Chiefs Player Rashee Rice Turns Himself In to Police Over Lamborghini Car Crash
- Another roadblock to convincing Americans to buy an EV: plunging resale values
- Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House
- Rhode Island transit chief resigns after he’s accused in a hit-and-run at a McDonald’s drive-thru
Ranking
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Biden announces new steps to deepen military ties between the U.S. and Japan
- Scott Drew staying at Baylor after considering Kentucky men's basketball job
- Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan announce two new Netflix series, including a lifestyle show
- Joey Logano wins Phoenix finale for 3rd NASCAR Cup championship in 1-2 finish for Team Penske
- Ron Goldman's Dad Fred Speaks Out After O.J. Simpson's Death
- Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court justice says she won’t run again, setting up fight for control
- Kevin Costner makes surprising 'Yellowstone' revelation after drama-filled exit
Recommendation
-
Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
-
Prosecutor to decide if Georgia lieutenant governor should be charged in election meddling case
-
Trump tests limits of gag order with post insulting 2 likely witnesses in criminal trial
-
TikToker Nara Smith Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Husband Lucky Blue Smith
-
New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
-
6 suspects arrested in murder of soccer star Luke Fleurs at gas station in South Africa
-
Billy Joel was happy to 'hang out' with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, talks 100th MSG show
-
Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen attend White House state dinner, Paul Simon performs: Photos