SPANISH FORK — A man who once confessed to killing a Millard County sheriff’s deputy, then was acquitted of murder when jurors found enough reasonable doubt, has been ordered to up to 10 years in prison on lesser charges. Fourth District Judge Donald Eyre sentenced Roberto Miramontes Roman, 40, on Wednesday. "At least in my opinion, you got away with murder," Eyre said. A jury in August found Roman not guilty of shooting and killing Josie Greathouse Fox in 2010. He was convicted of tampering with evidence and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, both third-degree felonies. On the second to last day of his trial, Roman took the witness stand and proclaimed his innocence. He said Fox’s brother, Ryan Greathouse, shot his sister after the men were smoking meth, then were pulled over by Fox. Fox, 37, had stopped the car in early in the morning on Jan. 5, 2010, suspecting Roman had been involved in a drug deal just minutes earlier. She was shot with an AK-47 pointed out the driver’s window as she approached the car. Although Roman initially described to police how he’d shot and killed the deputy, his defense lawyer said Roman had been threatened and changed his story after the threat was gone. Ryan Greathouse was found dead in a Las Vegas apartment on April 22, 2010, just a few months after his sister was killed. The Clark County coroner’s office said Greathouse, 40, died of an accidental drug overdose and that he had cocaine, heroin, ethanol and methadone in his system. Before his death, authorities said Greathouse told deputies he bought drugs from Roman and another man shortly before his sister was killed. After the verdict was reached, the jury forewoman said the group wanted to convict, but there was too much reasonable doubt. She expressed condolences to the slain deputy’s family. During his closing argument at trial, prosecutor Pat Finlinson told jurors not to believe Roman’s testimony. "So, blame the dead guy. Blame the guy who can’t defend himself. Blame the guy who can’t respond. Blame Deputy Fox’s dead brother," Finlinson said. "Ladies and gentleman, I think that’s called adding insult to injury. Ryan Greathouse did not kill his sister." But defense lawyer Stephen McCaughey said at the trial that authorities had no independent evidence, beyond Roman’s confession, that implicated his client. At Wednesday’s sentencing, Fox’s daughter, Hunter Winn, asked the judge, "Why shouldn’t he have to suffer as long as we do?" The Salt Lake Tribune reports the teen, who was 15 at the time of her mother’s death, was angry as she left the courtroom. "Everyone knows he killed my mom. Everyone knows that," she said.
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