A weeping family clad in matching T-shirts mourned the loss of a loved one, forgave the man who killed her and said the system failed them.
A remorseful Jesse Dahl, 30, apologized for the drunken July 3 accident that took the life of his vehicle passenger, Brooke Rosemore, 28, of Floodwood. Dahl was driving Rosemore's Volkswagon when he lost control south of Becida, swerved off County Road 3 and hit an approach head on.
Rosemore died at the scene. Dahl suffered minor injuries.
Rosemore's family gave victim impact statements just before Dahl was sentenced to 68 months in prison. He had been arrested in Beltrami County on a drunken driving charge and was out on bail when the accident occurred.
He was also freshly out of rehab.
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"A part of me died" that day, said Judie Goodrie, Rosemore's grandmother. She is helping raise the victim's two young boys, ages 2 and 5, with the boys' biological father.
Brittany Rosemore, the victim's sister, said she hoped Dahl would "turn your life around."
The family all wore shirts with Brook's photo imprinted on the front.
On that day "she received a death sentence," said the victim's mother Shari Baker. "We all received a life sentence, a life without her."
Dahl's apology was inaudible. He apologized for the "grief and sorrow" he caused the family.
He pled guilty last month to a count of criminal vehicular homicide and drunken driving.
Monday he also pled to that drunken driving charge in Beltrami County. His one-year sentence will run concurrently with the 68-month sentence in Rosemore's case.
He could be released from jail after serving 2/3 of the time if he doesn't incur any infractions while incarcerated.
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The remaining third of his sentence would be served under supervised probation.
He must make restitution in an amount to be determined later. His parents were also in the courtroom.
The entire family said they forgave Dahl.
"We knew it was an accident," Baker said. "I forgive you because I know that's what Brooke would have wanted."
But Goodrie questioned "why the help he received in rehab didn't actually help him," and why he was released to "drink and drive again."
