Fernando Valdez-Alvarez sentenced to 283 months in prison for murder of Jahmari Rice
Wednesday,
Hennepin County Attorney Mary F. Moriarty today released the following statement after Hennepin County Judge Paul Scoggin sentenced Fernando Valdez-Alvarez to 283 months in prison for the February 1, 2022, murder of 15-year-old Jahmari Rice outside a Richfield school:
In a one week period last February two families each faced their worst nightmare, the tragic loss of their 15-year-old sons to senseless gun violence. These two kids had full lives ahead of them but that promise was destroyed in brief flashes of anger. I’m hopeful today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure for Jahmari Rice’s family. Our community must do more to stop this violence. We will continue to do our part by focusing resources on aggressive prosecution of these cases.
Victim impact statements were provided at the sentencing hearing today by:
- Lucille Matias – Jahmari's grandmother
- Jasmine Hollins – Jahmari’s aunt
- Cortez Rice – Jahmari’s father
The murder of Jahmari Rice occurred eight days prior to the murder of 15-year-old Deshaun Hill, Jr. in February 2022. Yesterday, Cody Logan Fohrenkam was sentenced to prison for Deshaun Hill's, Jr.'s murder.
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