PROVO — Before Darrell Kinyon was sentenced Thursday for the 2004 murder of his boss in Pleasant Grove, the judge held up a hand-written letter from the victim's daughter.
"I just want you to know I don't want Darrell to die," the letter said. "It would just make everything worse."
Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis agreed.
Instead, he sentenced Kinyon, 50, to life in prison without parole for killing Kent Griffith.
"For both families, this crime has left a trail of tears, devastation and shattered dreams," Davis said.
Last week, Kinyon entered a guilty plea to first-degree aggravated murder. In exchange, the state dropped charges of aggravated assault and sex exploitation of a minor.
Had Kinyon not accepted the plea offer, Davis could have sentenced him to die.
The sex charge was related to pornographic material found on Kinyon's computer at work. When it was discovered, Kinyon's supervisors at the Provo River Water Users Association suspended him.
During a meeting to discuss the suspension on Feb. 2, 2004, Kinyon flew into a rage. He went home, where he retrieved a handgun and more than 30 rounds of ammunition.
When he returned to the office, he was met at the door by Griffith, 36, and one other supervisor. He shot Griffith in the shoulder and then chased him and other co-workers out of the building. At one point, he aimed the gun at another employee and attempted to fire, but the gun jammed.
Once outside, Kinyon shot Griffith in the neck, killing him. He then returned to the building and shot himself in the head.
On Thursday, friends, family members and former co-workers of both Kinyon and Griffith filled Davis' Provo courtroom.
Griffith's family spoke first.
"There's no way I can say how much this has affected us," said Griffith's widow, M'Lissa. "I want Darrell and his family to know I'm not bitter towards them."
Kent Griffith's father, Dennis Griffith, said much the same thing. He thanked Kinyon for accepting the plea bargain to avoid an emotionally wrenching trial for both sides and said he forgave him.
At the same time, he said he couldn't understand why Kinyon acted the way he did.
Kinyon could offer no explanation, but his attorneys suggested it may have had to do with anti-depressant medication he was taking and a lesion on the frontal lobe of his brain.
Perhaps the most moving moment of Thursday's proceedings came when M'Lissa Griffith's sister, Lisa Hatch, recounted the day of the murder. When she heard the news, she rushed to her sister's home and found her sitting on the edge of her bed holding the phone.
"She kept re-dialing Kent's number so she could hear his voice," Hatch said through tears.
Kinyon's mother, daughter and daughter-in-law also spoke. They thanked the Griffith family for their forgiveness and told Kinyon they would always love him.
"Even though I don't agree with what he's done, I will always love him and support him," Terra Kinyon said.
In the end, Kinyon had the last word before Davis imposed the sentence.
"There is not a day that goes by when I don't hear (Griffith's) children cry as they cry themselves to sleep."
E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com