July 7, 2005


Anthony Sanchez to serve 19 years for Troy Pollett’s death

Surprising guilty plea brings early close to murder trial

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

On the eve of the long-awaited Troy Pollett murder trial, Anthony John Sanchez, 23—in a surprising turn of events—entered guilty pleas on two charges that will put him in prison for 19 years.

For strength, Patty Melendez looks back to happier times spent with her son Anthony, shown here with his sister Elizabeth on his 19th birthday. Sanchez pled guilty to Troy Pollet’s murder and will serve 19 years in prison.

Sanchez pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter for Pollett’s death and attempted murder for stabbing Chris Johnson on March 20, 2004 after a traffic-related clash and chase that started on Bailey Road and came to a tragic end near Johnson’s Almaden home off Harry Road.

According to public defender Kenneth Mandel, Sanchez’s decision, which included waiving his right to an appeal, assures his release after 19 years. Had he gone ahead with the trial, a murder conviction could have resulted in an indeterminate sentence of 30 years to life. Lately, he said parole boards tend to lean more heavily on the life aspect of the conviction.

“It’s a long prison sentence,” admitted Mandel. “But people are not getting out these days. With this, he has a degree of certainty that he will get out sometime around his 38th birthday.”

After speaking with the families, Deputy District Attorney Cameron Bowman said that he felt the amount of time Sanchez received was close to what he felt would have been the best possible result after a trial
“We felt this was appropriate,” he said. “We were very satisfied with the way it developed. We spoke to the victim’s family and they were also satisfied with this result. Also, the fact that the defendant was willing to give up any right to appeal was a determining factor.

“I’m glad he stepped up to the plate,” admitted Troy’s father Steven Pollett. “At least he had the courage to do that. His statement to us was that he wanted to take responsibility for his actions, even though some members of his family thought he should fight it. In as much as anything can be fair under the circumstances, I guess it is, but nothing is really fair here.”

Emotions have been mixed following the plea, including those of Troy’ mother Debbie Schatmeier, who admitted that preparing for the trial filled a void and kept her otherwise preoccupied.

“Of course it was a relief not to have to go through the trial,” she said. “We can sort of end it in a way now. But since then, I’ve felt a let down. I feel more of a void—an emptiness the last few days.”

The settlement, according to Mandel, came on the heels of a letter Schatmeier sent to Melendez that initiated more dialogue, more understanding, and more empathy between the two mothers.

“The letters that were exchanged between these two women you almost never see,” he said. “If there’s a glimmer of anything positive in this case, it was the inspirational compassion that they were able to find for each other. I’m really impressed by these women. This never happens.”

“That’s something that Debbie felt she needed to do and she took care of herself,” Steven Pollett noted. “I’m sure Mrs. Sanchez felt the same need. It’s good that they were able to communicate like that.”

Closure for some may never come. For others, this marks the end of a 16-month nightmare that they don’t want to remember—save the memories lying underneath.

“We will never ever forget Troy,” Pollett added. “But whether he [Sanchez] spends 19 or 30 years in jail, I’m not going to give it another thought, or keep track of him. I don’t ever want to hear his name again. I’ll remember Troy for the person he was. That’s the only memory I want to keep.”