FLINT, MI -- Teresa Simpson didn’t hold back her emotions after hearing the first sentence in what has been a long journey toward justice for her son.

Kenneth A. White, 32, of Mt. Morris died Oct. 18, 2017 after a rock came through the windshield of the vehicle he was riding in on southbound Interstate 75 in Vienna Township.

Kyle Anger, 19, the lone teen in the case tried as an adult, was sentenced by Genesee Circuit Judge Joseph J. Farah to serve 39 months to 20 years in prison, with credit for time served of 740 days -- just over two years.

“A young man was taken from a family, a loving, caring family and he was a loving, caring, compassionate person and now his son has to grow up, his daughter has to grow up…without him,” said Simpson. “Where is the fairness here? 39 months for murder...This is a great injustice. This is a slap in my face. This is a slap in my son’s face.”

Suspect in I-75 rock-throwing case sentenced 3-20 years in prison

In rendering his sentence, Farah said he had to work within manslaughter guidelines in making his ruling as part of a sentencing proposal.

He noted those guidelines did not allow for a life sentence.

“There was nothing unintentional about this,” he said about the guidelines. “The intention was to throw the rocks down and hit the cars. In fact, it was called a game…ping, I think. There would be a hollering out of ‘ping’ when there was a reverberation of sound between the rock and the metal of the car.”

Edward Farrell, Anger’s attorney, argued in court that his client was not the leader of the group, but was being used by the other suspects in the case and seeking acceptance.

He displayed some of the Snapchat messages kept by Anger’s family of conversations between the teens. He said the other suspects were “trying to plan their alibi ... and what they’re going to do moving forward after learning Mr. White had unfortunately been killed by the conduct.”

Farrell said Anger had no prior record, was the first suspect to turn himself in, suffers from a mental health issue, and was being used by the others for his vehicle.

A letter from a psychologist said Anger struggled with peer relationships and that he gravitated to younger kids who “would potentially put him in a bad position,” according to Farrell.

“I don’t want everybody to feel sorry for him certainly, but I want them to understand this is what this kid has gone through and there’s always a pathway to ... explain what happens to people when they arrive at a tribunal like this,” said Farrell. “I honestly think these other boys took advantage of his immaturity -- and his absolute desire to have a friend group -- because he had access to a vehicle.”

Assistant Prosecutor Karen Hanson, however, referenced a pre-sentence report and statements from other suspects that indicated Anger suggested the idea, adding Anger had a truck, was driving and knew where the rocks were.

“I don’t think there’s any question that in fact, he was the leader of this group … who wanted to play this game,” said Hanson.

Farah conceded there’s “slightly more evidence supporting the notion that he was the leader or a leader in the group.”

Turning toward White’s family, Anger said he was sorry “for all the hurt and tears” he’d caused for them and the community.

“I’m deeply saddened by the heartache I have caused to everyone involved,” he said. “I didn’t think about what my actions could do. In time, I can only hope that Mr. White’s family and the community would be able to forgive me for my actions.”

When asked by the judge why the group did what they did, Anger said: “We just weren’t thinking of what the outcome could be of it and just doing dumb stuff.”

Looking directly at Anger, Simpson said his actions have “destroyed my life.”

“You took my son. You took a father from his kids,” she said. “Every day I want you to know my heart aches for him, and it is broken, and it will never be repaired.”

White’s father Kenneth expressed pessimism in the potential sentencing for the additional suspects in the cause.

“The other ones are going to get time served. They’re going to walk away with nothing,” he said outside the courthouse after the sentencing. “It’s going to be a copycat now because everybody knows that they’re going to be able to get away with it.”

The other four suspects in the case -- Trevor Gray, 17, Mark Sekelsy, 18, Alexzander Miller, 17, and Mikadyn Payne, 18 -- also entered guilty pleas on a single manslaughter charge in exchange for dropping 10 additional charges.

Attorneys withdrew their guilty pleas after Farah rejected sentencing the four teens as juveniles.

Prosecutors have asked that the case be moved to juvenile court. Farah has yet to make a ruling, but he said in court Tuesday that he felt the sentencing could serve as a barometer in the other cases. The judge said Anger received the stiffest penalty for the crime.

Following the court proceedings, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Tuesday’s sentencing is part of why he’s pushed for juvenile sentencing in the case.

“Under my plan, I can get them held up to the age of 21,” he said. “This young man, Mr. Anger, who got sentenced today, he’s only going to get a little more than a year (in prison) when you give him all the credit.”

Leyton said he did not see a large discrepancy in the sentencing for Anger as was discussed in court.

He argued there should be some difference in the sentences because Anger was the oldest of the group, drove the vehicle to the bridge and “he threw the rock that killed Mr. White.”

Leyton said he spent hours with each suspect in his conference room.

“I laid awake at night trying to get to the bottom of it,” he said.

While the lawyers and his office were on board with having the case move through juvenile courts, Leyton said it was “upended when Judge Farah wouldn’t agree.”

“I’m somewhere frustrated, but I still think that we should take the other kids to juvenile court and let them get a juvenile conviction and juvenile sentence where they can be held until they’re 21 and get the discipline they need in the system,” said Leyton.

When asked if the other suspects should receive a similar sentence, Simpson said, “They all should get the same amount. It’s a gang as far as I’m concerned.”

Simpson wanted to see more time for Anger.

“I will be at that parole hearing to make sure he does not get out," she said. " ... I will make sure my son gets his justice. This is not justice. This is plain ... murder and they murdered his name when they did this to him.”

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