Man sentenced to life without parole for killing friend with sword

By Mike Moses
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — The man convicted of killing his friend in 2019 with a sword, kitchen fork, and other weapons was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Hassan Sapry was found guilty last month, following a second trial, of killing 57-year-old Wilfred Guzman inside his Laconia home. Sapry’s first trial ended in a mistrial in 2022.
Several members of Guzman’s family, including his son, Wilfred Guzman Jr., read impact statements during the hearing.
They described Guzman as a loving man and a protector whose life was taken in a place he should have felt safest.
“It was definitely a long time coming for this trial to be, you know, ended and through all the delays,” Guzman Jr. said. “I think he got what he deserved.”
Guzman Jr. said that while the pain will never fade, the sentence allows his family to move forward.
“I mean, there’s no sense of closure when it comes to, you know, sentencing, but it’s a sense of relief. Now we can move forward together and just have memories of my father,” he said.
Sapry declined to speak when given the chance.
Prosecutors said the sentence is meant to send a clear message.
“Part of the sentencing is deterrence. And the hope is that by imposing a significant sentence, it will not only deter this perpetrator, but other perpetrators like him,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeffery Strelzin.
Sapry was also ordered to pay restitution. The judge noted that small monthly payments will serve as a continued reminder of his crimes.
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