A disturbing convicted murderer

Some homicides can at least be easily explained and don't leave me shaking my head. But last week's conviction and sentencing of a 17-year-old Hereford girl is really disturbing and a sad tragedy of a young life gone wrong.

Sygourney Grajeda, 17, was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in the stabbing death of her grandmother, Lucia Guajardo, 73, in her Hereford home last July. Grajeda entered the house through her grandmother's window, and stabbed her grandmother in the chest. Guajardo called 911 before she died.

Damien Rodriguez, who also faces charges of murder and evidence tampering in Guajardo's death, was also at the crime scene.

What's still unclear, and adds to the brutality of the crime, is even at trial a motive was not established, Deaf Smith County Criminal District Attorney Jim English said. Why did she kill her grandmother?

"She's a premeditated, coldhearted murderer," said English, who had pushed for a life sentence.

What is clear is that Grajeda had been in trouble with the law for nearly four years. She was pregnant at 15, and testimoney pointed to a history of drug abuse.

Imagine Mari Grajeda. She is both daughter of the murder victim and mother of the murderer. What kind of pain must she be going through?

But what a waste of a young life in a senseless killing.