A Paso Robles man was sentenced Tuesday to 28 years to life in prison for the murder of Trevon Perry.
Nicholas Christopher Ron, Jr. 25, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree premeditated murder in the death of Perry, 27, who disappeared in March 2020.
Perry was last seen leaving a friend's house in Paso Robles in the early-morning hours. Three months later, his remains were found buried in the backyard of a home in Riverside.
Prosecutors say Ron was responsible for shooting and killing the victim, but he had several of his friends and family members help cover up the murder. Nine other people were arrested on suspicion of being accessories to the crime.
During Tuesday's sentencing, four members of Perry’s family spoke, unable to fight back tears when addressing the man who took Trevon from them.
"It was every nightmare... It's the parent club you don’t want to be part of," said Kelli Perry, Trevon's mother, between tears.
In the eyes of the Perry family, no justice has come from the judge's sentence.
"The death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, no good time, nothing - you’re there forever, whether that’s him serving out day for day until he dies. That’s what justice would have looked like for me," explained Tierra Perry, Trevon's sister.
What eats at them the most is everything they don’t know. Ron pleaded guilty, so their wishes for a trial went unfulfilled and with it, their questions remain unanswered. The biggest one is why?
"We’ll never truly know why but what I do know is whatever it was, was petty. It was petty," Tierra Perry said.
What they want now, is the opportunity to face the defendant’s mother, as they faced the killer in court - the woman who they say helped her son hide Perry's body.
The family said her sentencing hearing was moved to Zoom later this month, but they hope to change that.
"How on Earth could you help hide another mother’s son? I don’t call her a mother," said Shannon Scott, Perry's biological mother.
Before announcing Ron's punishment, the judge said he hoped Perry's family can look past the rage and one day feel only joy when remembering Trevon.
The Perry family says their work is not over. They feel that due to California state laws, the punishment was not severe enough to fit the crime for anyone involved - whether that’s Nicholas Ron, his mother, or others that were arrested for the cover-up. They have been in touch with legislators in hopes to create a bill to ratify the issue.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow released a statement Tuesday in regards to the sentencing, saying, “No number of years in prison could be enough to adequately pay for Trevon’s senseless death. We continue to grieve for Trevon’s family and loved ones. Trevon Perry will always be missed and remembered.”
