Family remains haunted as man sentenced to 30 years for ‘horrific’ 2020 murder

Friends and family of murder victim Makayla Young quietly cried Monday morning as her killer received a 30-year prison sentence.

Anthony Fuerte, 28, pleaded guilty to nearly decapitating the 24-year-old Young. Her family was upset with the agreement that secured Fuerte’s conviction in exchange for a prison sentence they said is too lenient.

About 25 of Young’s family and friends tearfully looked on with more loved ones appearing via Zoom as Judge Maryann Moreno presided.

Fuerte killed Young in a room at the Rodeway Inn in February 2020. Fuerte and Lionel White were arrested in connection to the killing, but White’s murder charge was later dropped.

Fuerte’s attorney, Matt Harget, said Fuerte and Young had a drug-fueled reunion after Fuerte’s release from jail on a violation of his community custody. Fuerte had a violent reaction to the heroin they injected and killed Young.

Young’s family, however, described Fuerte as a monster who planned the killing.

Young’s father, Michael, talked about how much he loved his funny and caring daughter before turning to the loss he felt.

“I am here to tell you love can also hurt,” he said. “No father should outlive his child, especially in such an unnatural way.”

He lamented Young would never get married or become a mother, one of her greatest dreams, he said.

“You stole a future generation of love,” he said.

He called Fuerte an “evil murderer” who “obviously” had no remorse and asked for a longer sentence than the 30 years recommended in the plea agreement.

In Fuerte’s case, the sentencing range was from 312 to 416 months with a 24-month deadly weapons enhancement. As part of a plea agreement, due in part to “significant evidentiary issues” for both sides, 30 years was proposed, Harget said.

“You admitted guilt,” he said. “You chose to murder Makayla.”

Young’s mother, Christy Young, recalled the moment she was told her daughter was dead.

“My heart felt like it was ripped from my chest,” she said. “Who would want to hurt my baby girl?”

When the medical examiner wouldn’t allow her to see Young’s body, at first her mother was upset, but as the details of her daughter’s killing came out, she was grateful.

“My nightmares are full of visions of my daughter trying to get away from this monster,” she said.

Multiple family members and Prosecutor Dale Nagy mentioned the extensive evidence including bloody fingerprints on both doors in the motel room, that showed Young had fought back.

Young’s brother Andrew, said he feels like he failed to protect his little sister.

He mentioned a video of Fuerte re-enacting and bragging about killing Young while in jail.

According to the prosecutor, that video was put into discovery for the case; however, the defense argued that since the video does not have sound, the content of the conversation is just speculation.

With tears in his eyes, Young’s brother Andrew mentioned his sister would never meet his son or his baby on the way.

“There’s a hole in our lives that will never be filled,” he said.

Like his parents, he said 30 years confinement was not enough.

Young’s sister Emily recounted how close the sisters were, even calling Young the second mother to her 7-year-old daughter McKinnley, who fondly caller her aunt “Lala.”

The young girl wrote in a statement her mother read in court, “When Lala died, I didn’t like it and it broke my heart.”

Emily added: “Anthony, you are the monster under my daughter’s bed.”

In 2014, Young lost a baby at 28 weeks and, not long after, miscarried a second time. Since then, Emily said her sister had struggled.

In 2018, she faced a malicious mischief charge after an outburst at her family home while on drugs, according to the defense attorney.

Like many of her family members before her, Emily asked Judge Moreno to impose the harshest sentence possible. She also said the prosecution had not done a good job of fighting for the family or Young.

Fuerte’s aunt, Robin Fuerte, said her nephew had a bad childhood, even living with her for a time after Child Protective Services removed him from his drug-addicted mother’s home.

“He’s a good person, when he’s not on drugs,” she said.

The aunt also mentioned the involvement of previous co-defendant, White.

“It’s not all on him,” she said of her nephew.

Harget, the attorney for Fuerte, then gave a PowerPoint presentation detailing Fuerte’s difficult upbringing.

He was born to a 16-year-old mother and a 24-year-old father, both of whom struggled with drug addiction, Harget said.

Fuerte had significant learning disabilities and, when tested, had an IQ of 50 which is considered mild mental retardation, Harget said.

Following in his parents’ footsteps, Fuerte struggled with drug addiction, which started in eighth grade when he was expelled for having marijuana at school.

He had two children with a girlfriend while still a teen but was an “involved and caring co-parent,” Harget said.

At 19, he was convicted of armed robbery and went to prison for about seven years. While in prison he met people who did meth, Harget said.

When Fuerte got out, he began doing harder drugs, Harget said.

Harget showed Facebook messages between Young and Fuerte saying they loved each other.

He said they dated for a few weeks, doing drugs together frequently.

Fuerte was arrested on a Department of Corrections warrant for a community custody violation and was released from jail just two days before Young’s murder, Harget said.

Fuerte and White met up with Young at the Rodeway Inn. Harget showed photos from surveillance footage of Fuerte and Young holding hands and embracing the night before the murder.

She had no fear of him, Harget said. Harget said Fuerte blacked out and does not remember anything from when he did the drugs until he received treatment at Deaconess Hospital. He didn’t even know he committed the murder until he was charged, Harget said.

While being on drugs isn’t an excuse, Harget said, it explains the reason he killed her.

“I know that sorry is not enough,” Fuerte said while reading from a prepared statement. “I was just on drugs and I cannot imagine I did something like this.”

Moreno said it’s clear Young had a “strong presence” in her loved ones’ lives and was “apparently very kind.”

While Moreno said she understood why the family asked for a harsher sentence than the proposed plea agreement, she also said she had faith in the system and the attorney who got the case to this point.

“I understand you asking for that because you can’t put a value on her life,” Moreno said. “You can’t put a value on anyone’s life.”

Moreno sentenced Fuerte to 30 years in prison and flagged the case as domestic violence. Fuerte will not be eligible for parole until his late 50s.

After Fuerte was walked out of court, the Young family stood with tears in their eyes, some embracing, some looking shocked, while some still felt like the system failed them.