Kayli Stark still writes letters to her sister even though she's been dead for more than a year and a half.
At the parole hearing Friday for the 17-year-old boy convicted of strangling her older sister, Tara, a representative of the family read one of Kayli's letters to Tara to the Board of Pardons.Shari VanderHeide, who counseled the family throughout the trial of Sean Wingett, said Kayli now signs her name Kayli Tara Stark and has even taken on some of her sister's personality traits.
"Sean Wingett murdered Tara because she befriended and trusted him," VanderHeide said. "The entire Stark family will never be normal again."
Winget was 15 when he strangled 10-year-old Tara Stark as they walked home from school. A jury found Winget guilty of manslaughter but mentally ill.
Board member Curtis Garner asked Winget why he strangled Stark.
"I don't know," he said wrapping his arms around himself. "I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I don't know why."
Winget's lawyer wrote a letter to the board telling them the teen needed therapy that he wouldn't get in prison. Wingett was recently moved to a correctional facility in Cedar City and said he isn't involved in any therapy right now but has been in the past.
Winget asked the board for mercy and told them he planned on moving from Utah so he wouldn't disrupt the lives of his victims.
"I'd like the board to understand that I'm a real easygoing person . . . I don't intentionally like to harm people," he said. "I'm actually trying to help people."
Tara Stark's family has moved from Roy since the trial and wastoo distraught to attend Friday's hearing. But Tara's grandparents and uncle were at the hearing and say they want Winget to get help, but not on the outside.
Clyde Stark said he has suffered two heart attacks due to stress since his grandaughter's murder.
"I'd like to see him get help, but don't turn him back into society until he does," Stark said. Van-derHeide, who spoke on behalf of the family, asked the board to keep Winget in prison for the full 15 years and then have him committed to the state mental hospital.
"If the board goes through and lets him out and he kills another kid, they can blame themselves and no one else," Stark said after the hearing. Garner took the decision under advisement and expects the board will make a decision next week.