SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An Orem man has been sentenced to up to five years in prison in connection with a fight that led to the death of his 79-year-old stepfather.
The Daily Herald of Provo reports (https://bit.ly/1hA3T3K ) that 34-year-old Strider Diem was sentenced Tuesday in American Fork.
In January, Diem pleaded guilty to homicide by assault and aggravated assault of a vulnerable adult.
Prosecutors say Diem struck his stepfather, Melvin Rowley, several times in June 2013 during an altercation that began when Diem came home smelling of alcohol.
Rowley had a heart attack and died.
Prosecutor Tim Taylor said the heart attack was triggered by blunt force trauma caused by the punches. But Diem’s attorney, James Wright, said the heart attack killed Rowley, not the beating.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, https://www.heraldextra.com
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