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Judge gives Utah murderer ‘sliver of hope’ with small chance of parole

A Utah man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Thursday for fatally shooting another man during an attempted drug-deal rip-off three years ago.

“It appears to me that the defendant did not go into this with the intent to kill,” said 3rd District Judge Keith Kelly. “He came into it with the intent to rob.”

Jeremiah Ray Hart was found guilty of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, in October. On Thursday, Kelly chose between a prison sentence of life without parole sentence or 25 years to life.