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SALT LAKE CITY — A father was one of many people with teary eyes on Thursday at the sentencing for a man found guilty of firing multiple times outside of a 2021 party, killing Kelly Glaubensklee.
"Our family is not complete now," James Glaubensklee said.
He said they celebrated what would have been their son's 22nd birthday days before the sentencing without him, along with many other holidays and birthdays over the last almost three years. James Glaubensklee said he lost the chance to teach his son to be a young adult, and to pass on his family name. He expressed an "unbearable feeling" of defeat.
Anthony Dominic Rendon was found guilty during a murder trial for fatally shooting Kelly Glaubensklee, 19, during a confrontation between two groups outside a house at 1472 W. 11400 South in South Jordan, where a party was being held in the early morning on June 6, 2021.
Rendon, 21, was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years to life in prison for murder, a first-degree felony, and 11 sentences of three to five years in prison for felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.
Third District Judge Kara Pettit ruled that the sentence for murder would run consecutively to all the other sentences, which will run concurrently.
Salt Lake County deputy attorney Adrianna Davis said with the number of times the gun was shot, Rendon endangered the lives of even his own friends, but only one person was hit. Each of those shots had the potential to end a life, she said.
"The level of danger in this is tremendous," she said.
James Glaubensklee said Rendon deserves more punishment and asked for consecutive sentences. He believes 15 years is not enough for murder. He said his son was defenseless and weaponless, and could not have predicted the violent outcome of that evening. He said Rendon used one of the deadliest bullets, a hollow point, and his son did not have a chance of survival.
"Our community is being overwhelmed by these gang-style shootings," he said.
He and Kelly Glaubensklee's mother and sister talked about how different their lives and home are. The family said they used to leave their door unlocked and had a lot of guests and laughter; now they have a security system and need quiet.
Kelly's mom Katie Glaubensklee said the trauma the family has felt "cut deeper than most can imagine." She said the events of the night he died replay for her almost daily, and the fear she has is debilitating.
"I will never hear his heavy footsteps, his high-pitched girly squeal … I will forever miss his radiant light he bought into a room," she said.
Rendon's attorney, Elise Lockwood, said they were hoping to accept a deal pleading guilty to manslaughter instead of to murder, but each offer included murder so they decided to go to trial. She said Rendon disagrees with the outcome of the case and plans to appeal, but respects the jury's verdict.
She said there were a lot of decisions made that night before the shots were fired by people other than Rendon, including the decision to drive back to the house after two fights had occurred. She said Rendon did not participate in those two fights, which left one of his friends with a concussion. She said decisions were made around Rendon, although he did make the final, permanent decision to fire a gun.
"That decision was made under circumstances of stress, of fear," Lockwood said.
She said video shows someone picked up an object that could be a weapon and charged at the car, and the shots being fired stopped that attack.
Lockwood said bullets hit objects that were far away, showing not all of the shots were into the crowd. She said listening to a 911 call and hearing 12 bullets fired was shocking for Rendon, and brought back the fear and stress of the situation that he acted with.
Rendon said at the sentencing he regrets everything that happened that night.
"I know the pain and trauma you are going through isn't easy, and I'm sorry you have to go through it," he told Rendon's family and friends.
He asked the family for forgiveness.
"This is not who I am; I have a heart and actually care about what happened to Kelly," he said.
