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Judge Says Life Terms Likely for S.F. Man Convicted in 2019 Killing as Sentencing Is Delayed

The case stems from a 2019 rampage in Visitacion Valley that left 88-year-old Yik Oi Huang dead.

Overview

  • San Francisco Superior Court Judge Eric Fleming said he intends to impose 31 years plus two life sentences, including one without parole, on Keonte Gathron.
  • Formal sentencing was postponed after Gathron said he had not received his presentence report, with a hearing set for Dec. 4 to finalize the terms.
  • A jury earlier this month convicted the 25-year-old of murder and dozens of felonies from a two-week 2019 spree that included robberies, carjackings and burglaries.
  • Prosecutors said he targeted vulnerable victims, many of Asian descent or with limited English, including Huang, who died in 2020 after the attack.
  • Gathron represented himself, denied the crimes, claimed without evidence that video and DNA were manipulated by AI, vowed to appeal, and heard victim impact statements from Huang’s family.