Victims give impact statements

SANDUSKY — Family members of murder victim Trinidy Jones had the opportunity to address her killer before his sentencing last week. Tevin Q. Latin, 27, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder in exchange for three other charges and five other cases being dismissed. His guilty plea acknowledged that he shot Jones twice in the neck on Jan. 5, causing her death. "You took something from us," said James Fisher, who's Trinidy's father. "We're left with just memories now." Fisher asked that Latin be sentenced to the maximum penalty: life without the possibility of parole. "He deserves to rot in jail knowing that he's going to die in a cell by himself," he said. "He (doesn't) deserve the possibility of thinking about getting out. That needs to be snatched from him, like he snatched Trin from us." 'She was a beautiful soul' Fisher's was just the first voice calling for the max. Trinidy's sister, Brittany Jones, added to that chorus. "You don't deserve to live a free life out on the street because you will kill someone else, someone you supposedly love," she said. Brittany also spoke about the effect their mother's murder has on Trinidy's children. "How could you just leave her lifeless body for her two babies to find her? You took the one person they loved and needed the most," she said. "Everyone needs their mother throughout their whole life. You didn't let them have a chance." Fighting back tears, Brittany said, "She was a beautiful soul. She shined inside and out. She loved with all her heart. She did not deserve this, Tevin. She did not deserve to be murdered, to be taken away from her children, to be taken away from us." Then Jhshea Jones stood to speak. With a quick and clear cadence, and with a palpable anger to her words toward Latin, she began. "Tevin Quentin Latin, on Jan. 25, 2022, I was abruptly called by my mother, Lisa Jones, around 4 p.m.," she said. "I was at work and I will never forget my mother's cry." "She was calling to tell me my little sister, Trinidy, was dead," she said. She then, also, called for the maximum sentence. "For you to even think that 25 years is fair is absolutely hilarious to me," she said. "Life without parole sounds beautiful. Trinidy's life is worth more than a year for a year of her age." "You shot my sister in her neck not once but twice. That could have never been an accident because, by doing it twice, you made sure that the job was done. You sat in my sister's home and watched her suffer as her chest cavity was rapidly filling with blood." Jhshea went on. "You don't understand all the pain our family has to endure because you decided to be wicked, immoral, sinful, corrupt, heinous, jealous, spiteful, vindictive, demonic, disgusting and a waste of a human life to me," Jhshea said. "I hope she's haunting you every time you fall asleep. I hope you suffer for the rest of your life, however long that may be," she said. "Our family lost a beautiful soul. You will pay for what you did," Jhshea said. From a motherweeww The final victim impact statement came from Trinidy's mother, Lisa Jones. She spoke as if she was Trinidy. "I want all of you to know I will be watching over all of you from these pearly gates called heaven," Lisa said. "I love you all. I will finally rest after justice is served." "Now to you Tevin. Why? How could you kill me? And watch me suffer in my home where (my children) were sleeping?" "I couldn't breathe as my chest was rapidly filling up with blood. I suffocated. I tried to speak and beg you to please don't hurt my babies, but I couldn't — I couldn't speak. I realized I was dying," she said. "My spirit stayed in my home to watch my babies wake up in the morning to find my lifeless body laying on the sofa, not understanding why I wouldn't wake up." "But Tevin, you made sure (my children) would suffer also. You are so heartless. How dare you do that to my babies — kids who you claimed to have loved. But you never did, never in your life knew what love was." Lisa also asked that Latin be sentenced to life without parole. "Why Tevin? I loved you more than anyone in your whole, pathetic life has ever loved you," she said. "If you couldn't have me, you made sure no one else could, including my family. My life was so short but I will always be 24. Just to let you know, Tevin, I left behind my legacy. With all that being said, I pray, you spend the rest of your life behind prison walls." Words from the judge Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Beverly McGookey then spoke about the case. "In my time as judge, I've had, unfortunately, too many homicide cases, especially in the last few years," she said. "A lot of them are related to drugs but not all. I guess you could say, tangentially, this one is related to drugs if the defendant was high when he was doing that. But that's not helping him in this case." McGookey stated she found it disturbing that Latin left the children to find their mother's body and that he took both cell phones in the home so no one could call for help. She acknowledged that the family wanted Latin to receive the maximum penalty but said that was not warranted in this case due to other Erie County cases that resulted in life without parole sentences. She also determined that the minimum sentence that Latin's attorney had asked for was not appropriate. McGookey then sentenced Latin to 30 years to life plus three years for a firearm specification. She also ordered the sentence to be served consecutively with a one-year term he received for another case. Before the family spoke, Latin was given the opportunity to address the court. He said at the time of the killing he was mentally unstable and on drugs. He said he will hate himself forever and that he wishes he could take it back, but knows he can't.