Man convicted of manslaughter in Ryan Jimmo case sentenced to eight years in prison

A sentence has been handed down in the hit-and-run slaying of MMA fighter Ryan Jimmo.

Anthony Getschel, 26, will serve eight years in prison for striking Jimmo with his truck back in June 2016, an incident that resulted in the fighter’s death shortly after. The verdict was announced Monday, per the Edmonton Journal.

Following a guilty plea that was submitted on Nov. 26, Getschel appeared in court Monday where he was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter and two years for fleeing the scene of the crime. He will also be banned from driving for eight years after his time has been served.

The joint submission plea was accepted by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Paul Belzil, taking into account the fact that Getschel lacked a criminal record, turned himself in to the authorities within 48 hours, and showed remorse for his actions.

“I’m very sorry for the pain that I caused,” Getschel said. “I’ll never be able to forgive myself for what happened.”

The incident in question took place the evening of June 26, 2016 in Edmonton, Alberta. During a night of partying and drinking, Getschel and two associates encountered Jimmo and his fiancee on the road and later followed them to a bar where Jimmo exited his jeep and confronted Getschel. When Jimmo went to return to his vehicle, Getschel struck him with his truck, causing Jimmo’s body to be dragged out in front of his own jeep. Getschel and his associates then drove off.

Jimmo was taken to the hospital, where he died of blunt force trauma later that evening. He was 34 years old.

In the aftermath, Getschel initially hid his truck and took a taxi home, reporting his vehicle stolen. He would later retrieve the vehicle and report that the plates were stolen, only to eventually turn himself around 1 a.m. on June 28. Getschel was first charged with second degree murder, criminal negligence causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and failure to stop at a scene of accident involving death. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, which were later reduced to manslaughter.

Jimmo, who hailed from Saint John, New Brunswick, competed in 24 MMA bouts compiling a 19-5 record. He fought seven times in the UFC, going 3-4 with wins over Sean O’Connell, Igor Pokrajac, and Anthony Perosh.