LEHI, Utah — On Wednesday afternoon in the Fourth Judicial District Court, the State of Utah vs. John Jeffery Williams hearing took place, where Williams pleaded guilty to homicide by assault and impaired driving.
The parties agreed after a road rage incident, in Lehi took place in early June. And led to the death of 38-year-old Michael Brown. It was a very emotional day for the Brown family, there was not a dry eye in the courtroom.
"Because of unchecked anger and hatred, the inability to take a breath and keep driving, Mr. Williams changed the course of this beautiful family's lives forever," said Lynn Mortensen, Brown's Father-in-law.
Brown and his two sons, nine and 10-years-old were on their way to meet their mom when a road rage incident changed everything.
"It’s the traumatic way in that in which we lost Michael, you never think that your family member will be murdered in such a brutal way," said Cyndi Brown, Sister In-law.
The family is dealing with trauma, especially the two sons.
"He killed my husband. In front of my children and he only had to serve 26 days in jail. When Mr. Williams was arrested, not charged but arrested for aggravated assault with bodily injury. This would've been a secondary felony when Michael was pronounced dead. The charge dropped to homicide by assault, which is a third-degree phony. This is appalling to me," said Mandi Brown, Wife Of Michael Brown.
On Wednesday, the court hearing included three family members giving statements. "The only reason why the family decided to take the plea deal was to spare the boys from trauma," said Cindi Brown.
The parties settled on an agreement, of five years on zero-tolerance probation. "He cannot violate any laws or else it would go back to the full effect of the sentence. Also, it made it so the children did not have to testify that the restitution was a significant amount that he could pay very quickly," Brandon Merrill, Attorney for Utah Homicide Survivors. The restitution amount is about $213,000.
Mandi Brown, Michael's wife and mother to their children stressed, all they wanted to do was keep their sons from harm's way. "What they were forced to witness, has taken their innocence and introduced them to a darkness that my husband and I worked so hard to protect them from," said Mandi Brown.
In the court hearing, Michael's father-in-law read letters that his grandchildren wrote:
"I see the whole fight in my mind, very detailed I see dad lying on the road unconscious bleeding everywhere. We don't get to spend any more birthdays with our daddy, his very favorite was Christmas and that day is going to be so hard. We don't get to continue to learn sports from him, watch movies with him, play Legos with him, he doesn't get to sit in the stands and watch us play," Lynn Mortensen, Brown's Father In Law.
The family tells FOX 13 that the devastation and heartbreak is immeasurable. "Will miss him at thanksgiving. We miss him at Christmas. We missed him at the boys birthday and we miss him every single day," said Cindi Brown.
