SAN FRANCISCO – The man convicted in the deadly beating of an 88-year-old San Francisco grandmother is facing life in prison, bringing a measure of closure to a family that has grieved for years.
Killer gets two life sentences
What we know:
For the family of Yik Oi Huang, it was an emotional day in court for them on Tuesday as a judge handed down a sentence of 31 years plus two life terms for 25-year-old Keonte Gathron.
Huang, affectionately known as “Grandma Huang,” was brutally attacked in a Visitacion Valley park on Jan. 9, 2019. She died a year later from her injuries.
Outside the courtroom, her grandson Jeremy Lu said the sentencing could not ease the family’s loss.
‘This will last forever’
What they’re saying:
“It cannot bring back our grandma, and this will last forever. However, her love still remains,” he said.
A jury earlier this month found Gathron guilty of 25 crimes involving multiple victims, most of them Asian. The charges included carjackings, robberies, beatings, and the attack on Huang.
Defendant speaks but offers no apology
The other side:
Gathron, who represented himself, addressed the court but did not apologize or admit guilt.
“I’ve suffered a lot myself. I could relate to the pain, loss, suffering,” he said. “I’ve experienced that my entire life, so I understand, and I understand they feel and think I’m responsible, so I don’t have any ill feelings.”
Huang’s family said they were disappointed he did not take responsibility.
“I did not hear him say what I want to hear him say, which is take accountability, and so that’s upsetting,” granddaughter Sasanna Yee said.
Added Lu, “I feel a little bit of sadness and anger that until this day, he still does not admit what he did and did not apologize.”
Law expert John Trasvina, who was in court, said it was surprising Gathron chose to represent himself.
“I did not see the jury buying his arguments,” he said. “They were ranging from AI creating evidence against him to other matters that didn’t appear, and as a result the jury did not accept those arguments.”
A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4 to formally finalize Gathron’s sentence.