Colorado man gets life for killing brother with sword on front porch in 'broad daylight'
12/19/2023 1:20 pm PST
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (TCD) -- A 62-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his brother with a sword during an argument in 2021.
Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason announced that a jury found Kenneth Sargent guilty of first-degree murder for killing his brother, Roy Sargent. A judge subsequently sentenced him on Dec. 19 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sargent previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
According to a news release from the Westminster Police Department, on June 26, 2021, shortly after 1 p.m., officers responded to a home at 3957 W. 118th Place after a neighbor witnessed a stabbing.
Investigators later learned Kenneth Sargent got into an argument with Roy Sargent on the front porch. Kenneth then "pulled out a large sword and swung it in Roy’s direction" and "stabbed Roy once in the heart and the arm," the district attorney’s office said. The victim reportedly fell to the ground following the attack.
The neighbor who reported the incident noticed the victim on the porch and rushed to help. Roy allegedly said, "He stabbed me," referring to his brother, and then he went unconscious. Officers transported Roy to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
According to police, Kenneth barricaded himself inside the home, and Westminster SWAT responded to the scene to assist. Residents in the surrounding area were evacuated, and a "Code-Red" alert was issued, telling people to shelter in place.
After hours of negotiation, Kenneth eventually surrendered at around 8 p.m., and police took him into custody on a charge of first-degree murder.
The neighbor who reported the attack reportedly told officers he overheard the suspect tell his brother, "I’m going to kill you."
Mason said in a statement, "This was a horrific and tragic case. The defendant used a sword — in broad daylight — to take the life of his brother. I appreciate the hard work of my team on this difficult case. My thoughts are and will continue to be with the family who had to endure a level of pain and suffering that is truly impossible to comprehend."
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