Superior Murder Suspects Could Face Decades in Prison

SUPERIOR - Superior Police investigators were wrapping up Tuesday’s homicide investigation with new charges and potential prison sentences lasting decades. "The motive behind this incident was robbery in the hopes of getting money," said Superior Police Deputy Chief Nick Alexander. Police are calling the death of 20-year-old Garth Velin a victim of a robbery gone terribly wrong.The criminal complaint states Velin was dealing marijuana, and Friday police stated they did find drugs in Velin's home. At a news conference Friday afternoon Superior police got very real about the crime at hand, the lives affected, and the destroyed futures of the young suspects."The death of a citizen of this community - young or old - that's obviously tragic," said Alexander. Stories from the suspects themselves have painted a picture of how and why Superior High School graduate Garth Velin was killed."Cases like this are obviously very tragic and sad,” said Alexander. “As leads are developed we throw our resources at them at full force." Police believe it was 17-year-old Chance Andrews who went to Velin's home to "get some money." Autopsy results show there may have been some sort of struggle right before the gun went off. Though only one person fired the gun, four additional suspects are charged with what prosecutors call being party to the crime of felony murder.  This means each person could face the same consequences as if they shot the victim themselves."The fact that such young people are involved and the impacts on their future and life is obviously difficult to understand," said Alexander. A felony murder conviction can mean up to 20 years in prison. Because investigators believe their intention was to rob Velin, a robbery conviction could tack on another 15 years -- putting the five young adults in prison until they're in their 50s."Sometimes we get involved in actions that we don't always see the future outcomes of and there are repercussions to decisions that we make young or old," Alexander said. Because the suspects crossed state lines before and after the shooting, federal charges could be added on making their sentences even more serious than they already are.