Alpha man sentenced to 25 to 40 years in stepdaughter’s slaying
Saario, convicted of second degree murder, had claimed self-defense
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CRYSTAL FALLS -- A 66-year-old Alpha man convicted of killing his stepdaughter likely will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a judge sentenced him Thursday to 25 to 40 years in prison.
"This was not an act of self-defense and the sooner you realize it and accept responsibility for what you did, the sooner you can begin the healing," Judge Mary Barglind told Alfred Michael Saario in Iron County Trial Court. "But what I say and do today is not about your healing, it's not about making you feel better, it's not about what's best for Mr. Saario -- it's about what's best for the community and for the criminal justice system as a whole."
Barglind said she considered Saario's age, minimal criminal record, and many years as a productive citizen, but they were outweighed by the magnitude of his crime.
As a result, she ordered he serve the highest minimum sentence recommended under Michigan's sentencing guidelines.
A jury found Saario guilty of second degree murder and discharge a firearm in or at a building causing death after a week-long trial in August.
Neither the prosecution nor the defense denied Saario fatally shot 29-year-old Jamie Lee James in his Alpha home June 22, 2016. But no one else witnessed the minutes leading up to the shooting or the incident itself.
Saario had claimed self defense, testifying James burst into his upstairs bedroom in a rage, grabbed his cellphone, and ran out.
The pair had a "bitter" and "strained" relationship, marked with physical and verbal fights.
Saario claimed he feared for his and his wife's safety, and took two bullets off his dresser and loaded his rifle as he went downstairs. He started walking to the back porch but heard a noise and turned to see James in the darkness.
When she made a threatening comment, he shot her "as a reaction."
Although Saario then turned the gun on himself, he said he didn't actually want to die and didn't do it out of guilt from committing murder. He sustained severe facial injuries but no brain injuries, he said.
At sentencing Thursday, Saario maintained that story.
"Mr. Saario believes truthfully in his heart that he acted in self-defense," defense attorney Don Powell said.
Saario and James' long-standing conflict stemmed from Saario's "old-school" ideas about people who use drugs and live off state benefits or family members, according to Powell.
"Two of the things he found most offensive in life -- not working and doing drugs -- fit in with the victim," Powell said. "Normally, these types of problems don't resolve in someone shooting someone else."
Friends and acquaintances of Saario never knew him to be violent, Powell said, and were shocked when they heard news of the shooting.
Powell pushed for a minimum 15-year sentence, claiming anything more would amount to life without parole -- a punishment reserved for first degree murder. Even with a 15-year sentence, Saario wouldn't be eligible for parole until age 81 and may not make it to that age with his physical injuries, Powell argued.
Iron County Prosecutor Melissa Powell called the age argument "offensive" and asked if someone in their 40s should sit in prison longer for the same crime just because they are younger.
The prosecutor also rejected Saario's self-defense claims.
"What has bothered me about this case from the beginning is that he shot her in the back," she said. "It seems to smack of cowardice and dishonor. He was thinking about himself and the quickest, easiest way to eliminate his problem."
Saario's actions have destroyed his family, Melissa Powell continued, leaving his teenage son without a father, his wife without her daughter, his son and step-son without their sister, and himself in prison.
When asked if he wanted to address the court, Saario had his attorney read a prepared statement because he still has trouble speaking aloud. In the statement, he apologized to both his wife and the court, and asked for mercy "that I may have the hope of release someday."
Saario's official sentence was a minimum of 25 years to a maximum of 40 years for second degree murder, and a minimum of seven years and one month to a maximum of 40 years for discharging a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently.
He will get credit for 443 days already served in the Iron County Jail and the right to appeal his conviction.
Nikki Younk can be reached at nyounk@ironmountaindailynews.com or 906-774-2772, ext. 41.