Bay Area man who fatally stabbed his brother-in-law sentenced to 12 years

"I knew his heart. I knew his dreams. I knew his goodness. I watched him grow into a man who inspired people not just with music but with the way he lived. Moore's mother expressed in her written statement to the court how her son was special to her and the profound impact he had on those around him through both his musical talents and his character."

"On top of losing our ray of sunshine, we must live with the fact that someone who should have been family ... betrayed us all in the most unjust way that he could. Moore's wife described the compounded trauma of losing her husband while also experiencing betrayal from a family member, emphasizing the senseless nature of the violence."

"Johnson stabbed Moore twice in the chest, puncturing his lungs. The stabbing occurred after the two men got into a fist fight outside the home and continued the violent conflict some moments later inside the home. The fatal attack resulted from an escalating confrontation that moved from outside to inside Moore's residence."

Kristopher Robert Johnson, a previously convicted felon from Fairfield, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Raymond Antonio Moore, a 30-year-old musician and music educator. Johnson stabbed Moore twice in the chest during a violent confrontation that began as a fist fight outside Moore's home and continued inside. The jury convicted Johnson of voluntary manslaughter and found true the deadly weapon enhancement. Judge Stephanie Grogan Jones imposed 11 years for manslaughter and 1 year for the knife enhancement. Victim impact statements from Moore's mother and wife described his positive influence and the devastating impact of his loss on their family. Johnson fled the scene and was arrested approximately 24 hours later at a motel in Vallejo.

Read at The Mercury News