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UTAH STATE PRISON — A Duchesne County man who killed one person and wounded another in June 2011 will serve 25 years in prison before he makes his first appearance before the state parole board.
That means Bruce Silva will be 49 years old when he gets a chance at freedom. The decision was reached following a standard administrative review of Silva's file by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
Silva, 24, pleaded guilty in May to murder and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and a consecutive one-to-15-year term.
Uintah County sheriff's detectives say Silva was upset on June 18, 2011, because someone vandalized his car. He took his girlfriend, three of his brothers, another man and two women to a Lapoint home to confront the individuals he believed were responsible.
During the confrontation Silva used a .380-caliber handgun to fatally shoot James Edward Carey and wound Jared R. Hurley.
Court records show it wasn't Silva's first crime of violence involving a firearm.
- In 2007, a federal jury convicted Silva of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon while within Indian Country for a gang-related shooting on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The victim survived the shooting, and Silva was sentenced to serve three years in federal prison and ordered to spend another three years under federal supervision after his release.
- In April 2010, while Silva was being kept in a holding cell at the Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse in Salt Lake City, he assaulted another prisoner. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to another six months in federal prison and another year on probation.
Three of Silva's brothers and his girlfriend have all pleaded guilty to felony charges for their roles in Carey's death. Another woman, Teaunna Cesspooch, is undergoing a competency exam to determine whether she's fit to stand trial in state court.
Federal prosecutors have also charged Colin Rian Manning, 25, with murder in the second degree while within Indian Country and other charges in connection with Carey's death. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 14.
