For the families of Jenna Causby and Dorothy Ann Guthrie, a hearing Tuesday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court provided a chance to share their pain and grief after the deaths of the 19-year-old Lompoc women because a man drove under the influence of marijuana.

Kyle Nelson, 24, of Lompoc previously pleaded guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. On Tuesday, Judge Jean Dandona sentenced Nelson to 12 years in state prison.

“We have become prisoners. We are living a life you could never imagine. The loss is constantly with us,” said Kathy Guthrie, the mother of Dorothy Guthrie. “I may smile, but underneath there is a big hole in my life that will never be filled.”

In the early morning of Oct. 28, 2022, Nelson was driving under the influence of marijuana while on his way to his job in Goleta, according to law enforcement officers.

Nelson caused a fiery crash that claimed the lives of Causby and Guthrie, who were in a Chevy Malibu driving on Highway 1 about a mile west of Highway 101 in Gaviota. The women were declared dead at the scene. 

After Nelson’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled multiple times, he changed his plea to guilty on Jan. 23.

During her victim impact statement, Kathy Guthrie expressed how shocked and disturbed they were to find that Nelson was driving under the influence and that he had called many people that morning to try to get a ride to work.

“He chose to drive knowing he was under the influence, and he chose to cross the double yellow line,” Guthrie said. “Killing them was his choice and his choice alone.”

Patrick Guthrie, Dorothy Guthrie’s father, delivered an emotional statement that moved many in the courtroom to tears. He shared memories from his daughter’s birth and attending a father-daughter dance when she was 4 years old. He described the dark time he and his family experienced in the months after the crash and how her room is untouched. 

“Here I am 17 months later, to be honest, I don’t know what this is for. They will forget about this, but not us,” Patrick Guthrie said. “To the defendant, I fully and freely forgive you. You’re off the hook with me. I don’t care if you walk away today. I don’t want that hate in my heart. It’s because I love my daughter; that’s the only thing I want in my heart.”

Jenna Causby’s family was absent from the sentencing hearing. Kathy Guthrie said in her statement that the family was boycotting the sentencing.

A friend of Causby, Jackson Millard, read a brief statement describing Causby as a ray of sunshine who loved with everything she had.

“One of the last conversions we had we talked about the future,” Millard said. “She said to me, ‘Jackson, you’re 20. I’m 19. We have all the time in the world.’ She was gone nine days later.”

Mindi Boulet, Nelson’s defense attorney, noted to the judge that her client did not try to fight the case and that she witnessed Nelson in anguish in the hospital after the crash. 

“He didn’t understand why his life was saved and why he was pulled from the car,” Boulet said. “He wished there were enough opioids in the IV drip to kill him. He wanted to die at the hospital.” 

It wasn’t Nelson’s only criminal case. 

Just weeks before the crash, Nelson accepted a plea deal after being arrested in March 2021. He pleaded guilty to annoying or molesting a boy and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. 

Nelson was facing three years in state prison and to register as a sex offender. The deal was revoked after the double fatal crash, and he will serve his sentence concurrently with the manslaughter charges.

The mother of one of Nelson’s underage victims, named John Doe in the court records, read a statement sharing how her son has been negatively impacted by Nelson’s actions. 

“What should have been the start of a journey of my son’s adolescent years was tainted by this individual and his actions,” Doe’s mother said in court. “His life was shattered and could never be repaired. These last few years my son has been at the lowest point of his life.”

She added that she previously warned the court about Nelson.

“When Kyle was arrested I told the court he was a dangerous person. I warned the court he was a danger to himself and others, and parole wasn’t a good idea,” the mother said. “I want the court to know justice was not served. The system failed my son, the other children and the girls.”

Along with 12 years in prison, Nelson will have his driver’s license revoked, he won’t be able to own a firearm or any ammunition for the rest of his life, he will have to register as a sex offender and he’s not allowed to have any contact with his victims.

“While the use of marijuana is now legal, this case underlines the inherent danger associated with driving while under the influence of its effects,” District Attorney John Savrnoch said in a statement after the sentencing Tuesday.

“Our office will continue to zealously prosecute those individuals who would endanger the lives of of our community by driving while under the influence. Thank you to the California Highway Patrol personnel for a thorough investigation and the prosecution team led by Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Weichbrod, Michelle Mossembekker and Lauren Franco for their work in seeking justice in this case.”