‘Senseless death.’ Two young Tri-Cities fathers. More than two lives ruined

In the case of two young fathers — one dead and the other a murderer — there are no winners, concluded a Tri-Cities judge.

The family of victim, Anthony M. Irvine, 24, of Burbank, and the family and friends of Jonah W. Glass, 24, of Pasco, each lost someone they care about, said Judge Sam Swanberg.

“Justice. I don’t know what that means in a case like this,” he said Friday. “Dealing with somebody who stole something. Dealing with somebody who maliciously broke something, then I know what justice is. Justice is them having to do everything they can to rectify that.

“There’s no way to rectify this. You don’t have the power to bring back a life.”

At the end of the Benton County Superior Court hearing filled with tearful pleas from both families, Swanberg sentenced Glass to 27 years in prison for killing Irvine in a Richland motel room.

Glass previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the April 2020 shooting at the Days Inn Motel in Richland.

While Swanberg expressed sympathy for both families, he didn’t mince words with Glass.

“Mr. Glass, you’re going to lose. You’re going to be going to prison for a while,” he said.

Deputy Prosecutor Brandon Pang said Glass barged into the room armed with a gun with a plan to rob a man.

Irvine was asleep at the time and he woke up to Glass pointing a gun at him. Glass then shot him once in the head.

“Jonah Glass went into that room intending to steal money, when he fled moments later, he had taken far, far more,” Pang said.

Pang described Irvine as a man who had fallen on some dark times, but who was, in his heart, a good person.

“Anthony had hope, opportunity, a wide net of individuals who were there to support him, help him in any way they could, and he had a number of strong strong women, backing him, ready to help, encouraging him doing whatever they could to get him on his feet.”

Family and friends described the Burbank man as a caring father who was dedicated to his toddler son. He wanted to be part of his son’s life, since Irvine had lost his father when he was young.

“Today, Ayden says that his daddy is in his heart, and that he’s fishing on the moon” said Michelle Roach, the child’s grandmother. “Even though he was only 3 years old when your actions took his daddy away from him.”

A letter from his mother, Monica Amorebieta, was read by Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Howell, describing his sense of humor and love of drawing, fishing and playing baseball.

“He was a very friendly and joyful person. He often liked to help others in any way that he could,” she said. “I miss my son so much, but at least I find some comfort when I look at my grandson.”

Glass family

Glass’ family and friends who came to support him described a young man who had lost his father in 2015 and then his mother a year later.

He didn’t know how to deal with the loss, and turned to drugs, they said.

Glass also has a 3-year-old son, they said.

Defense Attorney Megan Whitmire said Glass is at the age where he isn’t fully mature. And she asked the judge for a lesser sentence, 23 years, saying it would be nearly as long as he’s been alive.

“Without any doubt at all, we can all agree that the death of Anthony Irvine was a senseless tragedy,” she said. “Not only Mr. Irvine’s family but my client’s family as well.”

She described Glass as a good-natured and affable guy who had a penchant for reckless behavior that ended up getting him into the trouble he was in.

“He didn’t go in there intending to hurt somebody,” she said. “This was a senseless death that should have never happened and definitely not part of the plan that day.”

Glass planned to rob a different man inside the room, his attorney said. There was a rumor that the other man had robbed someone else and had a lot of cash.

When he saw Irvine in bed with his girlfriend, Glass didn’t think. Whitmire described it as a perfect storm situation where the adrenaline was flowing and he didn’t think about firing the gun.

Irvine threw a blanket over the woman and shielded her with his own body before he was shot in the head, according to investigators.

He feels guilty for his actions, and he is living with that guilt, his attorney said.

Glass told the judge that he knows his actions are irreversible, and he knows he can’t relieve Irvine’s family’s pain.

“I know what I have done. I know that I have taken Anthony from his loved ones,” he said. “No one should have to go through what I have caused. “

He also apologized to his own family.

Swanberg’s decision

Swanberg told Glass he couldn’t understand why someone who lost his parents would do the same thing to Irvine’s child.

“You know what the pain is of losing your father, of losing your mother, how you could do that without sense to someone else,” he said. “I know you fell into drug addiction, but that is simply no excuse for conduct like this.”

Swanberg held up a photo of Ayden and told Glass to look closely at it.

“This is a 4-year-old, and you felt like that losing your dad when you were 18,” he said. “This boy lost his dad at 4. He will have to grow up without ever having his father back in his life again.”

He also pointed out that Glass’ criminal history included a previous conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm. So he knew he wasn’t allowed to have a gun before he went into the motel room.