BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County jury found a Palm Bay man guilty of murdering his neighbor on Thursday, so he could steal $6 for beer. Now, 19-year-old Alan Tanguay will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Tanguay's family, and even the jury who convicted him, seemed to take the sentence harder than he did. There were tears from jurors and tears from the defendant's mother.
However, there was little if any emotion from Tanguay, who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It took a Brevard County jury more than seven hours to decide Tanguay's fate. He was only 16 when he was arrested in 2008 for the stabbing death of his Palm Bay neighbor, 58-year-old Patricia Kaliszeski.
Tanguay's mother wept as guilty verdicts were read on charges of burglary and first-degree murder. Within minutes, he was sentenced.
"As to the charge of first-degree murder, he is hereby sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole," a judge said. "As to the charge of burglary, the defendant, Alan Michael Tanguay, is hereby sentenced to life in prison."
Donna Marie Tanguay shouted a few last words to her son before he was escorted away by Brevard County sheriff's deputies.
"I love you, Allen!" she shouted.
The outpouring of emotion struck some jurors, too. WFTV watched them wipe away tears as they were polled by the court.
But prosecutors told WFTV on Thursday that the punishment fit the crime.
"He stabbed his victim 37 times. We know that 36 of them, the victim was still alive and the final wound was when he took the knife from ear to ear," assistant state attorney Tom Brown said.
Tanguay's attorney told WFTV that he will file an appeal.