A Valley man is set to spend the next 27 years behind bars for the grisly killing of his stepfather, in a shocking Yuletide murder that rocked a tranquil neighborhood. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office confirmed the lengthy sentence for Michael Trevlyn Kaser, who pleaded guilty to shooting his stepfather, Michael Kinney, through a car windshield on Christmas Day.

Officers responding to a bizarre crash at a Gilbert home on December 25, 2022, found Kinney with two bullet wounds, dying in the driver's seat. Efforts to save him were futile; he was pronounced dead half an hour later. According to reports, Kaser had gone off into a firing rage after an argument with Kinney, his mother also present, following a family dinner. He alighted from the car and proceeded to coldly unlock his stepfather's fate with a gun through the car’s windshield. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said that dashcam footage from the vehicle confirmed the deadly shooting.

"This individual showed no remorse for his actions – he wasn’t worried about shooting his mother who was also in the vehicle, he didn’t provide aid to his stepfather but instead continually rejoiced about what he’d done,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated. Mitchell’s stern declaration came as the county sought to make an example out of a man who reveled rather than recoiled at his base act.

Kaser's chilling indifference to the crime was laid bare even during his arrest, as he openly yearned for confirmation of his stepfather's demise. "This disregard for life will not go unpunished,” Mitchell augmented, ensuring the perpetrator's lengthy removal from society. His guilty plea on March 22nd led to a 25-year sentence for Second-Degree Murder and an additional 2.75 years for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.