Man aged 73 sentenced to prison for stabbing and killing his friend

SALT LAKE CITY — The mother of Riley Nagle, a 27-year-old man who was stabbed and killed, said her son cared for others and made them feel important.

“He was sunshine and joy in human form. His quiet, gentle demeanor was a trait he carried throughout his life. …His laughter echoed in our lives and is now just a memory. Riley was kind and had a big heart – a heart that you have.” “Edward Kennedy, silenced with a knife in his hand,” said Janna Kontgis.

Kontgis spoke Monday at the sentencing for Kennedy, who was found guilty of murdering Nagle in a jury trial on September 2, 2020.

Third District Judge Paul Parker sentenced Kennedy, 73, to 15 years to life in prison for murder, a first-degree felony, and zero to five years to life in prison for possessing a dangerous weapon as a restricted person, a third-degree felony. These sentences are executed simultaneously.

The judge told Nagle’s family that he did not believe Nagle threatened Kennedy and said he believed the testimony of officials and others at the trial about Kennedy’s testimony. He said he wanted to let Nagle’s family know that he believed the young man had done nothing to justify his killing.

Nagle’s mother sat with many other friends and family members, occupying the seats behind the prosecutors, while the seats behind Kennedy were mostly empty.

Kennedy said at his trial that Nagle had stayed with him a few nights a week over a period of months and that on the night he stabbed him, Nagle came into his apartment more often than he would have liked, by showering at his house and lying in Kennedy’s bed.

As she gestured to the many people behind her during the sentencing, Kontgis said her son had never been homeless.

“He has a large, loving family and tribe,” she said.

She said he was even a loyal friend of Kennedy’s, but the man took away all the potential in his life – the opportunity to finish school, get married and start a family of his own. Nagle’s mother said he is no longer there to listen to his siblings, be “Uncle Riley” to his nieces and nephews or give his family members big hugs.

“Four years later, we still feel the ripples of the stone you threw at us that day. On September 2, 2020, our lives came crashing down. “We all lost the feeling of trust and peace, which has now been replaced by fear, anxiety and depression,” Kontgis said.

She said she didn’t get a chance for any last words, hugs or “I love yous.”

“A parent should never have to bury a child, especially one who was brutally murdered over a cell phone, a phone they never took away from you. There is no real way to make up for this,” she said.

She said it was fair to know that Kennedy would never be a free man and urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence possible.

“We will cherish our memories, speak his name and tell his stories and continue to live our lives for him. We will always keep his place at our table. My son, you will always be in our hearts. “This is something no one can ever take from us,” she said.

Salt Lake County Assistant Attorney Samuel Sutton said he did not believe there was any basis in court for Kennedy’s self-defense claim. He said the loss of Nagle was heartbreaking and the crime was senseless.

“This is really a great tragedy,” he said.

Bret Nagle, Riley Nagle’s father, said he still wonders every day whether he told his son he loved him when he left. He said he still feels the pain of a broken heart, as if a part of his life had been erased. He said his son “had a very special glow.”

He said his son had no obligation to make sure Kennedy took his medication, but Riley Nagle told his father he had promised Kennedy’s sister that he would try to make sure Kennedy took his medication and that was why went home to the man.

Bret Nagle said Kennedy “deserved to rot in prison” and said no one wanted to be around someone who could take a life “so carelessly.”

Kennedy declined to speak at the sentencing. His lawyer, Michael Misner, said attorneys for both sides had agreed to propose that the sentences be imposed concurrently.