An Iraq war veteran who blamed post-traumatic stress disorder for choking and stabbing his 22-year-old girlfriend to death was sentenced Thursday to 26 years to life in prison.
Allowed by his attorney to apologize for the first time since the January 2011 fight that led to the death of Eileen Garnreiter, the 25-year-old veteran, Tymarc Warren, told the court that he lost control.
“I am sorry,” Warren said over the audible cries of his father. “This one incident got out of control really fast.”
Warren served two tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army. He testified in his own defense, saying Garnreiter had grabbed a knife in the kitchen of their Lawndale home during a dispute. She wanted to break up with him because of worries that Warren couldn’t provide for their 5-week-old daughter, Layla.
Garnreiter, who had been holding Layla during the confrontation, ended up with 16 stab wounds, including three in the neck, a black eye and marks on her neck. A jury convicted Warren of first-degree murder in August after a more than two-week trial.
“You had an opportunity to be part of this world,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Steven Van Sicklen told Warren, referring to the victim’s family. “And you abused it.”
At his sentencing hearing in Torrance, Warren stood in a blue jail jumpsuit at a podium, facing his family -- dressed in black -- on one side and Garnreiter’s -- dressed in clothing featuring her favorite color, purple -- on the other.
A blown-up picture of Garnreiter, showing her bright white teeth, rested on an easel to his left.
He told Garnreiter’s family to take care of his daughter.
Garnreiter’s mother, Yesenia Nash, retorted: “Tell me. Tell me what do I tell her, Ty.”
Warren, who will be eligible for parole, paused before saying he planned to file an appeal.
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