Man Convicted in Hit-and-Run Death of Ryan Jimmo Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

Anthony Getschel, who last week pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday.

According to a report from the Edmonton Journal, Court of Queens Bench Justice Paul Belzil gave the 26-year-old Getschel six years for manslaughter and an additional two years for fleeing the scene of the crime.

“One man died for nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Belzil told the court.

“I am numb. Sometimes we can’t watch TV, we can’t sleep, eat, hear a certain song,” Linda Jimmo, the fighter’s mother, said in a victim’s impact statement. “Ryan, you never told me how I was supposed to live without you for the rest of my life. When you died, so much of us died too.”

Jimmo was killed by a truck driven by Getschel following an argument in the parking lot of a bar in Edmonton on June 26, 2016. Jimmo was transported to a local hospital and died of his injuries at age 34.

Getschel was drinking at a bar with his friend and girlfriend but left after fighting with other patrons. Getschel encountered Jimmo’s jeep on the way to a different bar and followed him into the parking lot. That led to a confrontation between the two parties before Getschel struck Jimmo with his vehicle and drove away. Getschel and Jimmo reportedly did not know each other prior to the incident.

After fleeing the scene, Getschel hid his truck and returned for it a day later. He then removed the license plate and ordered a new plate. Getschel was taken into custody after turning himself in on June 28, 2016.

“I’m very sorry for the pain that I caused,” Getschel said in court. “I’ll never be able to forgive myself for what happened.”

As an additional condition to the sentence, Getschel will have an eight-year driving prohibition upon his release from prison. The defense contested the term, but Belzil upheld the penalty on the grounds that Getschel fleeing the scene of Jimmo’s death was “extremely concerning.”