From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

SAN JOSE rCo Family and friends of a beloved East San Jose
elementary-school teacher brutally killed by her son six years ago
excoriated the convicted murderer at his scheduled sentencing Monday,
but will have to wait another month to see his formal punishment after
he was a no-show in court.

Ryan Garner, 41, refused to be transported to the Hall of Justice, and
his formal sentencing for first-degree murder was postponed to Jan. 12.
But loved ones of his mother, 57-year-old Cynthia Mykkanen, were allowed
to express to Superior Court Judge Hanley Chew their pain over the loss
of a devoted educator, sister and friend.

They also detailed their continuing heartbreak over how the death
occurred at the hands of Garner, who had previously been convicted of assaulting his diminutive mother. They decried how after the fatal July
2019 attack rCo during which police say MykkanenrCOs head was repeatedly slammed into a wall rCo Garner dropped off a gravely injured Mykkanen at
an emergency room, gave a rambling alibi about how a nonexistent
boyfriend hurt her, and then drove off in her pickup truck.

rCLThe thing that continues to replay the most in my heart and mind and
soul (is) how utterly defenseless she was, how small and light rCa and how
Ryan was a strong, stocky male, 35 years old. With only one punch, he
could have sent her flying across a room,rCY Sandra Mickanen, MykkanenrCOs sister-in-law, wrote in prepared remarks that were read aloud by a
friend. rCLHe brutally and sadistically beat her continually, throughout
her entire body, and for an unfathomable amount of time. He tortured her
to death.rCY

Garner was convicted in September by a jury that needed less than an
hour to deliberate before returning a guilty verdict. He is expected to
receive a sentence of 25 years to life in prison based on the
conviction.

At the time of her death, Mykkanen, a Virginia native and San Jose State University alumna, was a well regarded teacher at Painter Elementary
School in the Alum Rock Union School District, and also taught at Harry Slonaker Academy. In 2017, she was featured by The Mercury News for her
work with the Youth Science Institute and its camps and field trips for grade-school children.

That was also the same year that Garner was arrested and convicted of
assault and false imprisonment for violently attacking Mykkanen,
including choking her and threatening to kill her. Garner pleaded no
contest to the charges, was sentenced to time served, and was placed on
three years of probation supervision, which was still active when he
killed Mykkanen.

Mickanen lamented that outcome in her statement Monday.

rCLRyan is a clear example of a sadistic criminal with a track record of violence which dictated that he should have never been released back
into society,rCY she wrote.

According to San Jose police investigators, on the afternoon of July 18,
2019, officers were called to Regional Medical Center after a security
guard told them that a man brought Mykkanen to the emergency room and
claimed she had been beaten by her unnamed boyfriend, and that the man rCLappeared to be intoxicatedrCY before driving away in a truck rented by
his mother. Police would soon learn that Mykkanen did not have a
boyfriend.

At the hospital, Mykkanen was unresponsive and exhibited visible
injuries to her face and head, showed no signs of brain activity, and
was placed on life support. She died four days later.

Investigators went to the San Jose apartment where Mykkanen lived with
Garner and discovered a bloody crime scene and signs that the victimrCOs
head had been slammed into a wall. A landscaper reported seeing Mykkanen
try to leave her apartment before someone pulled her back inside.

Detectives obtained security video showing Garner carrying Mykkanen into
the pickup truck. Garner was arrested later that night in South San
Jose, and was initially booked on suspicion of attempted murder, a
charge that was escalated after his mother died.

Tom Wilson, who described himself as a family friend of Mykkanen, lauded
the work that resulted in the murder conviction and reminded the judge
about how Garner rCLappeared to be disengaged during the entire trial,
showing no remorse.rCY

rCLHe can never be trusted to walk among the general population again,rCY Wilson said in court Monday. rCLHe is the most despicable person I have
ever set eyes on.rCY

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/12/08/family-friends-call-out-despicable -son-who-killed-beloved-san-jose-school-teacher-in-2019/

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