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Jonny Lee Briggs, who was convicted of shooting his cousin dead after a clash in a downtown Fresno park this summer, was sentenced to 50 years to live on Wednesday.
Briggs, 42, shot Russell Lee Rowe Jr., 49, in the face at a park on Caraveras and Divasadero streets on June 20, police said. A shot rang out as a softball game was being played nearby.
According to court records, Lowe went to the park around 8:00 p.m., found Briggs, and “conversed” with him. Disagreement escalated rapidly.
“The defendant took out a firearm and shot the victim in the mouth,” according to court records.
Witnesses told police they saw Briggs shoot Lowe at close range. She also told detectives that Lowe wasn’t happy with Briggs, but she didn’t know what the controversy was.
During Briggs’ sentencing in Judge Gregory T. Fain’s court, several members of Lowe’s family said that while they would try hard to forgive Briggs, they would miss him deeply.
Lowe’s sister, Glenda Edmonds, said she and other relatives struggled to understand why Briggs did what he did.
“We’ve always been a part of each other’s lives and I don’t understand what brought us here,” Edmonds said. “We fight at the kitchen table, but we don’t do this. This is irreversible. I miss my brother and I miss you.”
Briggs showed little emotion when Edmonds spoke in court. She said she had forgiven him, but she didn’t want him to forget the man she had killed.
“I want[Russell’s]face to be the last thing you see when you lie down at night,” she said. “And I want it to be the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning.”
A recent change in the state’s sentencing guidelines gave Fain the option to reduce Briggs’ overall sentencing by eliminating reinforcements for using a gun to commit murder. However, he said the enhancement was appropriate given the circumstances of the incident.
“This is a public park, and we shot people in the face who were unarmed at point-blank range,” Fain said. “This is the type of conduct that poses a serious risk to public safety.”
A native of the Valley, Robert has worked in Fresnobby since 1994, covering a variety of topics including education, business and agriculture. He is now in charge of the court.
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