JEFFERSON COUNTY, N.Y. -- The sister of Randy Bent made a passionate plea in Jefferson County Court Friday morning.
Kyle Box was being sentenced for Bent's murder back in 2015. It was a meeting for sex that turned tragic as Bent was stabbed 46 times and had his body lit on fire as a cover-up.
The Bent family wanted the max sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
"He was a predator," said Kelli Guyette, Randy Bent's niece. "He preyed on somebody, in my opinion, who he felt couldn't defend himself. I think he knew exactly what he was doing when he placed an ad on Craigslist."
"He was the kindest person. He'd have given anybody anything they asked for. He'd have let him go. He would have drove him home," said another of Bent's nieces, Lynne Intorcia.
But Box told Jefferson County Judge Kim Martusewicz a different story -- the same story he told us in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
"This situation wouldn't have happened if Randy Bent didn't rape and attack me. He would still have his life today and he could still be victimizing other people," Box said about that night.
Box says he had several other issues with his murder conviction. They're mostly accusations against police and attorneys who reject the notion of any wrongdoing.
Box says he wanted more character witnesses and to take the stand himself. He claims there was evidence tampering and that a lack of blood evidence collected and tested showed bias.
"If they had tested that and if they had actually tested the back of my jeans, it would have showed that he was standing behind me and pushing me into a wall. It would have been my blood on that wall," he claimed.
Despite police officers testifying that they held numerous searches for the knife used by Box, he believes they didn't want to find it.
"I wanted to show that, because it would have shown that because it would have proven that he actually held it and attempted to use it against me," Box said.
He says the prosecution claiming he was angry he might be gay and enjoy the encounter was a lie. He says the reason he lost control and blacked out is because of sexual abuse he suffered as a young child by his mother's then-boyfriend -- a claim prosecutors question because, until his arrest, he'd never even mentioned it before.
"I've always been hesitant about speaking to it because, you know, it's traumatic. It's not really something I wanted people to know," Box said of why he never mentioned it before.
Box also has issues with his interrogation, telling TWC News he was on a three-day bender and was in no shape to be talking. He says he was told he could go home if he talked. So he says he didn't think to ask for a lawyer and started making up stories.
The video of that interrogation shows Box was indeed told that, but before there was any proof he was involved. He was read his rights after that proof came.
"Yes, it might have been stupid at the time, and if I could go back I'd change it, yes, but still, my life was beind destroyed right in front of me," Box said of the lies.
But even Wednesday, Box was convinced Jefferson County Judge Kim Martusewicz would reduce the charges to manslaughter. He did not. But he also didn't give him the maximum sentence. Instead, Box was given 15 years to life.
For Box, it could have been worse. For Randy Bent's family, it was devastating.
"It sickened me. It just made me sick," Intorcia said. "He just showed no remorse to this point, and now, all of a sudden, he has remorse. It's just more lies he's told, is my feeling."
"I have to make peace in my heart knowing that, one day, I will see him again," Guyette said of Bent with tears in her eyes. "Though it's not today, one day I will see him again, because I know where he is."
Having already served two years, it's possible Box could get out of jail in 2030.
On Saturday, we'll finish our look at this case with our exclusive interview as Box looks at life ahead, what he's learned and if Randy Bent's family can see any good coming from this decision.