A man from Orono was sentenced on Thursday to 7 1⁄2 years in prison for killing two of his passengers in a crash last summer when he drove nearly 100 miles an hour while drunk on a winding road on Lake Minnetonka.
The verdict in the district court of Hennepin of James D. Blue, 52, is in line with the specifics of an agreement between the defense and the prosecution reached in August, when he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal murder with a vehicle in the death of 20-year-old Mac Mozko and Sam Shuneman, 24, on July 24 after Blue crashed into the woods near North Shore Drive near his home.
Blue is expected to serve the first five years in prison and the remainder of his controlled release. Two charges of third-degree murder were dropped, along with two additional charges of murder with vehicles alleged to be gross negligence.
Judge Regina Chu handed down Blue’s sentence after he apologized through tears for taking the lives of Shuneman and Mozzo, son of Bob Mozko, head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team.
“To Motzkos and Schunemans and their family and friends, I just want to say how sorry I am for what I did,” Blue said. “I understand that I must be punished … The grief, the pain, the heartache, the suffering I have caused Motzkos, Schunemans and all their many friends, this is astounding.”
In conclusion, Blue said: “I lived 52 years. I would give up my life today – to say goodbye to my children – to bring Sam and Mack back. Not fair. They are 20 and 24 years old and I took their lives. “
Blue was handcuffed by the sheriff’s deputy and taken out of the courtroom before his planned transfer from prison to prison no earlier than Friday.
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