SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Tate told the man who admitted to causing her 16-year-old son’s death that she hopes his journey will be OK, but her journey will never be.
“What you did — I lost my babe. He’s my heart, my soul. Now … he’s gone and I can’t hold him anymore,” she said during a sentencing hearing Thursday.
Tate said she can’t celebrate Christmas any more after losing her son on Christmas Eve. Nor can she celebrate Kenneth Gant’s birthday in March.
“I just miss my baby, I just wish he was here,” she said.
Coda Verucchi, 21, of West Jordan, was sentenced to a term of one to 15 years for manslaughter, a second-degree felony, for his role in killing Gant on Dec. 24, 2021. He shot Gant twice before a second man fired the fatal shots. Verucchi was also ordered to serve a consecutive prison sentence of five years to life for a first-degree felony robbery committed the following day.
The judge called the killing a “staggering act of cowardice.”
“Murdering that child on Christmas Day, I have a hard time imagining as a parent, as a sibling, something that would be more difficult than dealing with that — compounded by the fact that you did this on Christmas,” Judge Todd Shaughnessy said.
Police responded to the Gene Fullmer Recreation Center, 8015 S. 2200 West in West Jordan, on Christmas in 2021 and found Gant’s body with three shell casings next to it.
A few days later, on Dec. 27, 2021, a witness reported a car had been stolen from a driveway. The car fled from police, but lost control. Verucchi and Jedediah Zane Newsome ran but were taken into custody. In interviews, Newsome admitted to police that Gant was shot because he was trying to join the gang they were in while being a member of another gang.
“Newsome started to walk away from Verucchi and (Gant), but he told police he heard two gunshots, so he went back, grabbed a gun from Verucchi, and shot (Gant) twice,” according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Jedediah Zane Newsome pleaded guilty to murder for Gant’s death and was sentenced in 2022 to a term of 15 years to life in the Utah State Prison.
Verucchi pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, on Jan. 30 under a plea deal. He had been charged with murder, a first-degree felony. In exchange for his plea, two counts of felony discharge of a firearm, a first-degree felony, and possession of a dangerous weapon as a restricted person, a second-degree felony, were dismissed.
He pleaded guilty at the same time to the aggravated robbery, and prosecutors agreed to dismiss two charges for failure to stop or respond to police, one a third-degree felony and the other a class A misdemeanor, and accident involving property damage, a class B misdemeanor.
Deputy Salt Lake County attorney John Ham said although Verucchi fired the initial shots and hit Gant twice, they believe Newsome fired the fatal shots. He said he felt the plea deal was appropriate, and it was offered after consulting with the Gant’s family.
Verucchi’s attorney, Elise Lockwood, said her client has never had the opportunity to follow through with a treatment program after being born with an addiction. She said he could not have carried out a plan of his own, and it is no surprise he ended up involved with a gang.
She said Newsome admitted to using Verucchi’s accounts to set up the meeting, following a fight between Newsome and Gant’s older brother.
Gant’s uncle, Charles Tate, said although things are emotional for them, the family recognizes that Verucchi’s life is just starting. He said they moved to Salt Lake County from St. Louis when Gant was 6 years old to try to change the family’s narrative. He said his nephew was gullible and would do anything to be liked by others.
“I felt that was used against him to be lered to his death. … For it to happen that way, it hurts,” he said talking about Gant’s death.
Gant’s great uncle, Rev. Charles Tate, said the crime affects four generations of their family and will have an “everlasting impact.” He asked the judge to consider when sentencing Verucchi how the timing of the crime will affect each Christmas for their family.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement he hopes the sentence provides “some measure of justice” for Gant’s family and loved ones. He thanked prosecutors and staff for years of work in this case.
“We have recently worked closely with our state lawmakers to try and stem the involvement of youth in gangs, to try and prevent senseless deaths like this one,” he said.
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