A 58-year-old Michigan man who told authorities he was “not sorry” for killing his ex-girlfriend was ordered Friday to serve 30 to 60 years in a state correctional facility for the 2023 shooting death of 40-year-old Amber Jo Thomas.
The sentencing comes after Barry Lee Garza pleaded no contest in February to second-degree murder and assault with intent to murder. Records show the court credited Garza with 995 days of time already served.
The fatal encounter unfolded on August 3, 2023, outside the Linden Square Assisted Living facility in Saline. Prosecutors say Garza drove to the facility and waited in the parking lot for Thomas to take a break. He then opened fire in broad daylight, striking Thomas in the neck and wounding a 67-year-old man who was with her.
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Evidence presented in court highlighted the premeditated nature of the attack. “Given where he lived and where the incident occurred, clearly he had to drive some distance to get there, had to pack a gun, had to load a gun and get to her place of work and wait for his opportunity,” Judge Kuhnke said from the bench.
The killing occurred just one week after Thomas had sought legal protection from Garza. In a personal protection order filed in late July 2023, Thomas detailed a decade-long history of physical and verbal abuse, stating she feared Garza would follow through on threats to kill her. The order was granted but had not been served before the shooting.
At the time of his arrest, which followed a vehicle crash and a confrontation with a sheriff’s deputy, Garza reportedly told authorities, “I’m not sorry I killed that f****ing b**tch.”
During the emotional sentencing hearing, Thomas’ mother held up photographs of her daughter and spoke directly to Garza. “I want you to see, Barry, what you took from us,” she said.
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Jessica Richardson, a friend and colleague who witnessed the aftermath, described Thomas as a woman who did everything she could to stay safe.
“She was scared, but she was trying to survive,” Richardson told the court. “Despite everything she did to protect herself, this defendant found her.”
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