They have been waiting 12 years for justice and finally tonight the Skeen and Vellos families have some sense of closure. The relative who killed three of their loved ones pleaded guilty in court today. Jomarie Lanza was there this morning at the High Court, here's what she saw:
Almost twelve years after this unbelievable crime scene in 2012 - which saw three bodies removed from the Skeen/Vellos home, it's finally over: the killer Jared Ranguy today pleaded guilty.
It was a teary eyed moment for the Skeen/Vellos family, as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. After 12 years, 16 adjournments, 2 judges and more than a handful of lawyers, Jared Ranguy, who appeared virtually in court today pleaded guilty to the crime of three counts of the murder of his mother, his sister and his stepfather.
Rene Skeen, the brother of deceased Karen Skeen says that regardless of what today's outcome would have been the family remained rooted in prayer throughout it all.
Rene Skeen, Brother of Deceased, Karen Skeen
"On behalf of the family we would like to thank God. The most important thing is we got justice and the emotions you can't explain it. It's been over 11 years we have been waiting for this and the day has finally come."
"We will never get full justice three people are dead. But for him pleading guilty it kind of helps a little bit. The pain kind of you know we can deal with it a little better now."
"At the end of the day he pleaded guilty and that's what matters it doesn't matter to us whether he was trying to do it with an explanation. I did it but I didn't mean to do it at the end of the day he killed three people. Three family members."
And now that the family now has some degree of closure, Skeen says he might also be able to find it within his heart to forgive Ranguy
Rene Skeen, Brother of Deceased, Karen Skeen
"I think it was about a month or so ago he and his attorney asked for a sentence indication which the judge read to him three life sentences and a forty years before eligibility for parole he served 11 years already which means it will be like 29 years plus a few months so although we would like to see no parole at the end of the day like I said for the family we got what we were requesting for him to say look I'm guilty. We used to say that you know you guys interviewed us and we said, you guys asked can we forgive him and I use to say no but now you know what I think I can."
Reporter
"After he has pleaded guilty only after he has pleaded guilty."
Rene Skeen, Brother of Deceased, Karen Skeen
"Right."
Reporter
"But he didn't want to plead guilty"
Rene Skeen, Brother of Deceased, Karen Skeen
"At the end of the day he did he didn't want to but he did because look after three judges and about what ten twelve attorneys after about 16 adjournments hey the family is tired."
As it relates to the sentencing for Ranguy, the DPP told us today that they will now move onto mitigation where the accused could spend up to 40 years in prison
Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, DPP "A considerable time in terms of the trial itself because there were quite a number of witnesses who would have had to have been called and there would have been voiders in relation to the statement that would have been given and admissions. So it did save the court some time but of course this matter has been before the court for a very long time."
"The maximum that the judge would impose is a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years that was the indication. That is not the actual sentence and I believe I did read on some one of the media that it will be sure sentence and that will be imposed. That is the maximum sentence that the judge will impose and so now we go to the stage of mitigation and they will put before the court by way of mitigation what they think the judge should take into consideration, and the judge is entitled to give a sentence that is lower than what he indicated."
Ranguy's sentencing is set for May 13th.
