Keyren Tzib is Given Jail Time for Attempted Murder

The long-drawn-out series of events involving former coast guard sailor Keyren Tzib came to an end earlier today when she was sentenced to almost five years in prison after being found guilty of the attempted murder of her colleague.  The incident during which Tzib fired an M-4 carbine, injuring Petty Officer Kurt Hyde took place on Easter Monday 2015.  In the wake of the shooting, she was charged with three offenses, including attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm.  A psychiatric evaluation was also conducted to determine her state of mind at the time of the incident.  Since then, Tzib has been back and forth to court over this matter.  When she appeared before Justice Candace Nanton this morning, it was her attorney’s hope that a non-custodial sentence would have been handed down.  However, after carefully analyzing the facts and taking into consideration Tzib’s mental state, the starting point for mitigating and aggravating factors began at thirteen years.  For the length of time that the case meandered through the justice system, six years were deducted from the possible sentence.  An additional two years were subtracted, given Tzib’s mental state in relation to her guilt.  For the time that Tzib spent on pretrial detention, two months were also taken away, leaving a prison term of four years and ten months.  Following today’s judgment, attorney Arthur Saldivar spoke on his client’s behalf, indicating that the sentence will be appealed.

 

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney-at-law

“The offense for which Ms. Tzib had been charged and convicted of was attempted murder and in our jurisdiction, generally, the range of sentences has been eight to fifteen years.  So one would appreciate that there was a significant reduction, although it was being urged on the court that a non-custodial sentence would have been most appropriate.  We did not get that, but we got a significant reduction from the eight to four years, ten months.  What was taken into consideration in respect of that was the mental state of the offender.  The fact that she was not previously convicted, was a person of good character and it was also taken into consideration the fact that there was considerable delay.  This offense took place in 2015, the trial happened some nine years later, in 2024.  But there were also matters that I think should have been taken into consideration but were not and we will be addressing that on appeal.”

 

Reporter

“So the status is that she will be appealing.  What will she be appealing, the conviction?”

 

Arthur Saldivar

“Both the conviction and the sentence.  It’s a very sad situation that has occurred here and in relation to what happened with Ms. Tzib, this was a young lady who had no idea the person who raped her was going to be on a boat with her prior to this incident happening.  She was already suffering from the trauma, being violated in that way.  So one would imagine suffering serious mental illness as a result of being violated by a person, in the most horrible way any woman can be violated and being in possession of a weapon and that person also violated by being in possession of a weapon himself, how that would have caused an already impaired mind to react.  So my heart goes out because I have a mother and I have sisters and certainly, I can understand a person in her position not being in control of the full faculties because of the trauma she experienced, reacting the way she did.”