A Laramie man charged with murdering his step-grandmother was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Albany County District Court Monday.

Trevor Lee Sanford, 31, was accused of killing Marilyn “Kay” Dlugosh in March 2017 and taking her car, cell phone and credit cards. Sanford was living with Dlugosh after he was released from the Albany County Detention Center after being incarcerated for leading law enforcement on a high speed chase in January 2017.

Prosecutor Kurt Britzius said the decision in the courtroom today came down to two choices, life in prison, where there is a possibility of parole, or life in prison without possibility of parole. The state had taken the death penalty off the table as part of a plea deal, where Sanford pleaded guilty to the first alternative charge of murder in the first degree.

Britzius said the brutal nature of the crime demanded life without parole. He said the crime was ‘up close and personal’ and that Sanford had killed Dlugosh using three weapons – a knife as well as two blunt objects – for no apparent reason.

Britzius also pointed to Sanford’s lengthy criminal history, including an incident of aggravated robbery, when he held up a fast food restaurant in Cheyenne using a gun.

“This shows someone who just does not care, who has no regard for human life,” Britzius said.

Sanford’s lawyer Randy Hiller argued for life in prison, saying that the crime committed, while horrible, happened because of Sanford’s methamphetamine addiction and the possibility of parole would give Sanford the chance to redeem himself and become a functioning member of society.

“I think if we can get the drugs out of Mr. Sanford, we can save Mr. Sanford,” Hiller said. “Do we throw away a life?”

Sanford also made a statement to the court, saying that if he is given life in prison, there is no guarantee that he would receive parole unless he bettered himself and made himself worthy.

“I would like to have that opportunity,” Sanford said.

Albany County Distrtict Judge Tori Kricken said while Hiller could not have done a better and more eloquent job arguing for life in prison, the court would sentence Sanford to life in prison without the possibility of parole, because of the extraordinarily brutal nature of the murder.

“A crime like this destroys the fabric of our society,” Kricken said. “You removed a kind soul from society.”

Kricken said Sanford was very much in control of his actions when he made the decision to kill Dlugosh. She also told Sanford that if he was being honest about wanting to better himself, he still has the opportunity to do that while in prison, even without the outside incentive of parole.

 

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