West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Nga Nguyen’s murderer sentenced to 26+ years

Two months after pleading guilty to murdering his ex-girlfriend’s mother, 21-year-old Jose Gonzalez-Leos has been sentenced. His sentencing was on hold until September but then suddenly moved up to this past Friday, when, court documents show, King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts sentenced him to 320 months. That’s the top of the standard sentencing range, just over 26 1/2 years, counting time already served. He’s been in jail since his arrest in March of last year, more than two months after he killed 46-year-old Nga Nguyen at her home in High Point. Prosecutors say he strangled and beat her on December 14, 2013, after breaking in through a bedroom window, and that she had had trouble with him before, as had her daughter. Evidence linking him to the murder included a DNA match from saliva found on the victim’s body; that had led to a charge enhancement that the murder was committed with sexual motivation, but that was dropped as part of his plea bargain. According to a document filed by Gonzalez-Leos’s lawyer, he had been high on meth for a week at the time of the murder, and had killed the victim out of “sheer uncontrollable anger.” He had no prior felony convictions. (WSB photo, December 2013)

9 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Nga Nguyen's murderer sentenced to 26+ years"

  • Wseattlight August 31, 2015 (6:46 am)

    Only 26 years for taking another’s life???
    How much time will this loser actually spend in jail? 15? 10?

  • wscommuter August 31, 2015 (8:24 am)

    He could hypothetically earn good time at the rate of 1/6 of his sentence (per state sentencing guidelines) assuming good behavior for the duration of his sentence, so at most, his sentence could be reduced to about 260 months or so. In other words, he will actually serve more than 20 years even if he is a model prisoner.
    .
    Don’t like his punishment? Talk to your legislators. That’s who establishes the sentencing grid.

  • they August 31, 2015 (9:55 am)

    System broken…

  • Joan August 31, 2015 (1:34 pm)

    Why not a life sentence for a murderer?

  • carole August 31, 2015 (2:06 pm)

    Joan: “why not life” because as WScommuter pointed out, the legislature sets sentencing ranges. This judge gave the TOP OF THE RANGE for first degree murder, so direct any dissatisfaction at Olympia, not the judges, prosecutors or court system.

  • wscommuter August 31, 2015 (3:15 pm)

    “Life” is only given out for 1st degree murder with aggravating factors (as the alternative to the death penalty). I don’t know anything about this case, but the prosecutor obviously believed it could not prove that higher crime, hence, this charge. There are many types of “murder” charges that carry varying levels of punishment.

  • WTF August 31, 2015 (9:15 pm)

    1) Is that POS in this country legally?
    2) Why not life if he murdered an innocent woman while in the commission of another crime?
    3) 26.5 years is sheer B.S.!!!’

  • kobdvs August 31, 2015 (9:59 pm)

    @WTF
    1)Donald Trump would be proud of you.
    2)Because your elected representatives wrote the law that way. Do you vote? Communicate with your reps? If not, then be quiet.
    3)Intelligent comment (tongue planted firmly in cheek). But I bet it felt good ranting like that. Thanks for your contribution to the conversation. Or not.

  • face less September 1, 2015 (10:11 pm)

    Wow- the guy should have gotten life. You take a life, you lose a life. And meth isn’t a good excuse- own it.

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