Jared Ranguy Gets Three Life Sentences for Triple Murder

After 12 years in the courts, the triple murder case of Jared Ranguy came to an end today, with Ranguy receiving three life sentences. Ranguy appeared in person at the Belize High Court this morning, for the sentence handed down by Justice Nigel Pilgrim. Ranguy’s three life sentences will run concurrently, with eligibility for parole after 37 years. With the 12 years already spent on remand in the Belize Central Prison, he will be eligible for parole in 25 years. Ranguy’s attorney Godfrey Smith, says that the sentence is not what the defence had hoped for. Smith explained that Justice Pilgrim had considered the mitigating factor that Ranguy might have been sleepwalking when he brutally murdered his mother, Karen Skeen, his stepfather, Robert Vellos and his sister Tina Skeen; however, he decided not to give the argument any weight.

Godfrey Smith, Attorney: “At the argument stage, we sought to persuade the judge for a fixed term sentence as opposed to a life sentence. With a life sentence, you have to serve a minimum number of years before you can become eligible for parole. But you only become eligible and it would be at the discretion of the Parole Board. Obviously, we would have preferred a fixed sentence which means it’s fixed and once you’ve done a certain amount of time then you would be free. The main, or one of the main things we were relying on was the forensic psychiatric report of a United Kingdom forensic psychiatrist and a sleep specialist. Unfortunately, those reports could not be conclusive without having hooked up Mr. Rangay to sleep machines, sleep study machines, in the prison. The cost was too prohibitive. We couldn’t go that far. And as a result, the only, the expert could only go so far as to say none rem parasomnia, in common parlance, sleepwalking could not be ruled out. That what they observed and what they gathered from Mr. Rangay was consistent with that but absent corroboration from other persons they could not be conclusive about it.”

Relatives of the deceased gathered at the newly renovated courthouse for the sentencing, and the room was so packed that some of them had to wait outside. Krystal Holder, niece of Karen Skeen, says that with the sentence handed down, the family can finally put the matter behind them. Holder noted that Ranguy had expressed remorse solely through affidavits to the court, and she feels that an apology to the family directly would have been better.

Krystal Holder, Relative of Deceased: “I would say that we’re feeling emotional, relieved and grateful that this long journey is finally over and that justice has been served. The loss of our loved ones, it was immense. It was profound because we’re such a close family and so it was shocking and it was truly a tragedy and we have been coming here to these court sessions for twelve years. Some of the family behind me have been they’ve been at every, every court session. So we are relieved. However, the sentence, it does not take away the deep pain that we feel and that we will continue to feel probably for the rest of our lives because the absence of aunt Karen, Tina, and Mr. Robert is felt every single day and they are dearly missed, but we are grateful for this closure. I think it would have been better if he had spoken to us and apologized. I think that would have meant much more. We are grateful that he pled guilty and that today is the last day that we have to be here and that this is over.”

Over the 12-year lifespan of the trial, there were numerous adjournments. Ranguy changed attorneys seven times, and the trial also saw three judges presiding over it.