For the third time this year, Randall Denny’s mother and sister appeared in court June 17 to tell Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh about Denny and their experiences since he was fatally shot April 30, 2022.
“I’m glad this is the last time I’m doing this,” Denny’s sister said. “I’m getting justice for my brother.”
While it was the last time they would be in court advocating for Denny, his mother said their lives will never be the same.
“Every day I wake up and every night I go to bed, I have Randall on my mind,” Denny’s mother said.
Just after 5 a.m. that April day, Denny was found by Green Bay police officers lying in the road at the intersection of Western and Perkins avenues when they responded to a report of gunshots, according to a criminal complaint. He was pronounced dead on the scene, later determined to be caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
Gustavo Cantu, Alejandro Cantu and Jacob Ventura, all of Green Bay, were charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the case. Alejandro Cantu, 34, pleaded no contest to felony murder battery Feb. 5 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison March 31. Gustavo Cantu, 42, was found guilty by a jury of felony murder-armed robbery Feb. 18 and was sentenced to 35 years in prison May 23.
Ventura, 38, cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Gustavo Cantu at his trial, which District Attorney David Lasee said played a role in Ventura’s plea agreement. Ventura pleaded no contest to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and harboring/aiding a felon April 24.
“The state has acknowledged his participation and assistance and the charges were greatly reduced,” Lasee said. “He did come forward and testify. That is not an insignificant thing for him to have done, particularly when he’s testifying against family members.”
Ventura returned to court June 17, where Walsh sentenced him to a total of 7½ years in prison and eight years of extended supervision.
Defense recommends one year in prison, prosecution makes no recommendation
Ventura began using drugs as early as 9 years old, defense attorney May Lee said, which has been at the root of the bad decisions he has made in life. With the right treatment, Lee said, Ventura “can be a contributing member to society.”
Lee said she thinks about “who he could have become if he was surrounded by people who could have directed him in a different way and raised him to be able to to not do those things and be able to focus on the strengths that he has.”
Lee recommended a sentence of one year in prison followed by one to two years of extended supervision, noting Ventura’s rehabilitative needs and lack of violence in his criminal record. Lasee did not make a specific sentencing recommendation, but highlighted several aggravating and mitigating factors.
While Ventura did come forward and testify against Gustavo Cantu, Lasee said, it took time, which should lessen its mitigating power. The reduced charges Ventura was convicted of have aggravating factors, Lasee said, including that Ventura possessed and disposed of the gun used to shoot Denny.
“As it relates to assisting or aiding a felon, it really doesn’t get more aggravated or serious in terms of your assistance than to take the murder weapon in your hand and dispose of it,” Lasee said. “And dispose of it in a way that it was, frankly, never recovered.”
Ventura sentenced to 7½ years in prison
Usually when Walsh sees convictions of possessing a firearm as a felon or aiding a felon, he said, the offense that led to the charges are “not as serious.” In Ventura’s case, Walsh said, the charges represent participation in something very serious.
“There’s been loss of life, and again, Mr. Ventura isn’t charged with that,” Walsh said. “There’s a participation in it, in the possession of a firearm and the aiding of a felon. All those things, in a certain way, participated in what happened.”
Despite having presided over three cases related to Denny’s death, including one trial, Walsh said he doesn’t believe all of the facts have come out. And, because of where things stand now, Walsh said, “it probably never will.”
The maximum sentence Walsh could have delivered was a total of 10 years in prison, five for each charge, followed by 10 years of extended supervision. He sentenced Ventura to 7½ years in prison and eight years of extended supervision.
Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @vivianbarrett_.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Third Green Bay man sentenced for 2022 shooting death of Randall Denny of Hobart
Reporting by Vivian Barrett, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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