Current:Home > FinanceTeen 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:2024-12-23 20:47:03
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! (8)
Related
- Craig Melvin replacing Hoda Kotb as 'Today' show co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie
- In session reacting to school shooting, Tennessee GOP lawmaker orders removal of public from hearing
- Georgia sheriff resigns after pleading guilty to groping TV's Judge Hatchett
- Whitney Port, 'Barbie' and the truth about 'too thin'
- Skai Jackson announces pregnancy with first child: 'My heart is so full!'
- Jailed Sam Bankman-Fried can’t prepare for trial without vegan diet and adequate meds, lawyers say
- Deputy wounded in South Carolina capital county’s 96th shooting into a home this year
- Greek authorities find 18 bodies as they continue to combat raging wildfires
- The Best Corduroy Pants Deals from J.Crew Outlet, Old Navy, Levi’s & More, Starting at $26
- MLK’s dream for America is one of the stars of the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington
Ranking
- Are Ciara Ready and Russell Wilson Ready For Another Baby? She Says…
- Why we don't trust the 'vanilla girl'
- A judge will consider if Texas can keep its floating barrier to block migrants crossing from Mexico
- Love Is Blind: After the Altar Season 4 Trailer Reveals Tense Reunions Between These Exes
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- Trump co-defendants in Fulton County case begin surrendering ahead of Friday deadline
- If Your Life Feels Like Pure Chaos, These 21 Under $50 Things From Amazon May Help
- 'Unearthing' couples the natural world with the meaning of family
Recommendation
-
Will the NBA Cup become a treasured tradition? League hopes so, but it’s too soon to tell
-
Bachelorette's Charity Lawson Joining Dancing With the Stars Season 32
-
Can we talk Wegmans? Why it's time for a 'chat checkout' lane at grocery stores.
-
National Cinema Day returns for 2023 with $4 movie tickets at AMC, Regal, other theaters
-
Tony Todd, star of 'Candyman,' 'Final Destination,' dies at 69
-
Powerball jackpot reaches $291 million ahead of Monday's drawing. See winning numbers for Aug. 21.
-
Larry Rudolph, wealthy dentist convicted of killing wife on African safari, sentenced to life in prison
-
Tony Stewart Racing driver Ashlea Albertson dies in highway crash