PHOENIX — A brutal case that’s been stuck going in circles for several years in court is finally coming to an end.
On Friday, Major McKenzie was sentenced to three decades in prison for killing two men in Phoenix back in 2020, in two separate cases.
The sentencing was a long-awaited day in court for Michelle Rubio and her family.
"You learn to live with the pain," she told the judge. "You just never heal it."
McKenzie killed her brother Danny Rubio in July 2020, stabbing him to death by his home near 36th St. and Thomas Rd. in Phoenix.
When McKenzie was arrested, police also connected McKenzie to another murder in the area: Juan Martinez, who was killed in May 2020.
McKenzie was reportedly homeless in the area, suffering from a serious mental illness.
"I don't want another family to go through what we are going through," Michelle Rubio said through tears in court.
She said Danny was killed on the same day as his mother’s birthday. His mother also addressed the court.
"I thought that day that my life had ended," Danny's mother told the court through a translator. "Because he was my only son."
The devastating situation was made a lot harder by the time it took to get to this sentencing.
Serious Mental Illness
Court records show that Major McKenzie was found incompetent multiple times over the past several years.
On two occasions, McKenzie refused to take medication to be restored to competency. The charges were dismissed, but McKenzie was always re-arrested and charged again. This ultimately led to the case starting over from the beginning three different times.
The I-Team learned that Major McKenzie had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and was in and out of jail, prison and mental healthcare facilities for most of his life.
He was taken to a psychiatric facility in the weeks before Juan and Danny were killed, but records indicate he was ultimately discharged without getting further help.
McKenzie’s sister, who asked we not reveal her identity, called the situation a failure when she spoke with the I-Team in February.
The sentencing
Back in court Friday, McKenzie’s attorney also highlighted the impact of a serious mental illness.
"The world in which he lives in is not the reality everyone else sees," his attorney told the judge. "It’s filled with paranoia, threats, fear and a reaction to that."
His attorney said substance abuse was also a factor and that Major McKenzie didn’t remember the crimes, something Major himself pointed out.
"I had no idea that I went that far," McKenzie said when he addressed the court.
Major McKenzie pleaded no contest under the plea deal and the judge found him guilty of two counts of reckless manslaughter.
The state asked for the maximum penalty: 40 years in prison. The defense asked for the low end: 20 years.
"We’re not helping the problem," said McKenzie's attorney. "We’re warehousing him. We’re saying we can’t deal with him on the outside and I don’t believe that’s true."
The judge ultimately went down the middle. She sentenced Major McKenzie to 30 years in prison, 15 years for each killing.
After imposing the sentence, the judge told Major McKenzie that she was recommending the corrections department place him in a facility where he could get treatment. The judge noted that in Arizona, those options are limited.
“Unfortunately that’s the best we have to offer at this time," the judge said.
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