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Dieteman "truly sorry", jury spares his life
He was ready. Either way. Life behind bars with no chance of parole, or death by lethal injection. Sam Dieteman, one half of the Serial Shooters, was led into the courtroom Wednesday afternoon prepared for the worst. His mother, Mary Monagham, clenching a Kleenex, stood in the first row just behind her son. Mitigater, Barbara Bumpus put her arm around Monagham to offer support, but you could see her emotions were just as raw.
“All rise!” The voice of the court clerk broke the silence. The tension in the courtroom could be cut with a knife. Reporters stood with pen and pads ready, the television pool camera focused in on Dieteman who stood with his eyes cast downward. Shooting victim Paul Patrick and his mother were front row in motorized chairs. Between them and Judge Steinle stood the prosecutors, the defense attorneys, and the police lead detective on the case. And, the jury; the men and women who had listened intently to endless details surrounding the disturbing life of Samuel Dieteman and the senseless violence that brought him—and them, to this moment in time.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you selected a foreman?” Judge Steinle inquired. Juror #13 had been appointed to oversee the deliberations. With that, the verdict was read. Steinle sentenced Dieteman to three consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole. Samuel Dieteman, 33, would spend the remainder of his life behind bars in an Arizona prison. His mother gasped and wept. The mitigater wiped away tears. Several jurors began to weep. Prosecutors, Vince Imbordino and Laura Reckart looked on. Defense attorney Maria Schaffer uttered a deep sigh of relief and patted her client’s back. Sam Dieteman showed no emotion.
Dieteman was led before Judge Steinle and stood flanked by his attorneys, Schaffer and Quinn Jolly. Steinle addressed him, “Mr. Dieteman, do you have anything to say?”
Dieteman thought for a moment, and then responded, “I am truly, truly sorry for the pain I’ve caused. I’ve hurt so many, many, many people. I want to thank the court for treating me like a human being.”
Then, in an unprecedented move, Samuel Dieteman was allowed to talk to jurors privately—at their request. This chapter in the most prolific serial shooter case in Arizona history came to an end.