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Haught draws 10.5-year sentence in 2020 shooting

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On May 19, in a Globe courtroom, Destry Alan Haught, of Tonto Basin, was sentenced to 10.5 years for the June 22, 2020 shooting of his wife.

That day, officers from multiple agencies responded to a shots fired call at a residence on Bar X Road, where 51-year-old Terri Lou Haught was found deceased. Destry Haught was arrested for manslaughter and booked into the Gila County Jail in Payson.

In April 2022 Haught, 51, pleaded guilty to the charge, in a plea agreement stipulating the 10.5-year sentence in the Arizona Department of Corrections along with a term of community  service. His sentencing came last Thursday, handed down by Gila County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chambers. Haught was given credit for 1.9 years served. As far as restitution, both sides agreed to leave the issue open for 90 days.

A number of family and friends spoke up for Haught at the sentencing, and Chambers said the court had received 40-50 letters supporting Haught (no victim advocates spoke on Thursday). One speaker portrayed him as a “wild cowboy” who turned his life around after some bad choices; others described him as a man of faith who helped others out and a devoted family man. It was also said he was a “worrier” who broke under the strain of the pandemic, which took away his income from rodeos and as a hunting guide, and the 2020 Bush Fire. A witness to the shooting said Haught was unable to speak coherently that day, that he “wasn’t there mentally.” Haught and others claimed he had not slept or eaten properly for days as the fire struck his range land.

“Words cannot express the sorrow, the guilt, the shame I will bear for the rest of my life,” Haught said in the courtroom. “I’m here to take responsibility.”

Even so, in addressing the court Haught asked whether Chambers could reduce his sentence. The judge replied this was not an option; the court could either accept the plea with its agreed-upon 10.5 years or reject it, sending the case to trial. Chambers added that if Haught were found guilty but insane, he would have been subject to 16 years in a psychiatric facility.

Before formally issuing the sentence, Chambers listed mitigating and aggravating factors. The former, he said, included Haught’s expressed remorse and acceptance of responsibility, gainful employment, lack of prior felonies and family/community support. The latter included the physical and emotional harm to Terri Haught, who Chambers said had surely suffered, and physical/financial/emotional harm to her family. “It’s important to keep the victim in mind as well,” he said.