Page 5 - Johna Couple News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Sentencing for manslaughter and arson. prior to his arrest, he was a popular black belt karate instructor for a company that taught sports to children. one of his co-instructors is now his co-defendant. moniza murillo. >> i met john a couple years ago when he first got hired. we just started talking. he's overall just a good guy. as a friend, we've always been close. we're like a team. >> one of the challenges in getting the inmates to reveal sometimes very personal stories is creating this connection with them. and with moniza, one of the things that we shared in common was a real affection f...

Now his co-defendant. moniza murillo. >> i met john a couple years ago when he first got hired. we just started talking. he's overall a good guy. as a friend, we've always been close. we're like a team. >> one of the challenges in getting the inmates to reveal sometimes very personal stories is creating this connection with them. and with moniza, one of the things that we shared in common was a real affection for martial arts. i had studied martial arts and i was very interested in the martial arts that she had studied so we talked about that. i asked her to put me through some moves. and just...

I tried to stay a little upbeat around john, even though it was such a bad time for him, but it was just -- it was hard. he got 14 years. being john's friend, i don't want to see him do 14 years. does he deserve it? i don't know. what am i going to get? it was just that much more scarier. i don't know to what degree they're holding me accountable. i don't know what the judge is thinking. since prosecutors found antonucci to be the ringleader, murillo would face a lighter sentence. prosecutor is asking for a year here and probation. so they're asking for the minimum, which is good. i'm praying ...

Around john, even though it was such a bad time for him, but it was just -- it was hard. he got 14 years. being john's friend, i don't want to see him do 14 years. does he deserve it? i don't know. what am i going to get? it was just that much more scarier. i don't know to what degree they're holding me accountable. i don't know what the judge is thinking. since prosecutors found antonucci to be the ringleader, murillo would face a lighter sentence. prosecutor is asking for a year here and probation. so they're asking for the minimum, which is good. i'm praying really hard for it. if i get it,...

>> with his wild west reputation, we didn't expect to meet two young people at maricopa who not much earlier were considered role models as opposed to felons. >> no matter where we are you need to be serving god. right now we're all sitting in jail. i'm a very devout christian. i've gotten back to my walk with god. i was working in my church and everything before coming here. it's not jailhouse conversion or whatever. i just followed a friend and shouldn't have done that and helped him do something that i shouldn't have done. and it's going to cost me several years of my life. >> during our ex...