Crime & Safety

Mill Valley Man Sentenced in Brutal Fatal Stabbing

Daryl Kumar Mears gets 16 years to life for the gruesome attack on a Marin City man, who was stabbed 68 times in 2010.

 

A Mill Valley man was sentenced today in Marin County Superior Court to 16 years to life in prison for the .

Daryl Kumar Mears, 22, was sentenced by Judge Andrew Sweet to 15 years to life for second-degree murder of Larry Robertson, 22, of Marin City, and one year for use of a knife, Deputy District Attorney Aicha Mievis said.

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This was a particularly brutal and heinous murder. The victim was stabbed 68 times," Mievis said. "The victim was unarmed and defenseless and was lying in a pool of blood.”

The stabbing occurred on a pedestrian underpass on Bridge Boulevard in Marin City on Dec. 15, 2010. A woman who saw the attack called the Marin County Sheriff's Office.

Find out what's happening in Mill Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At his trial, Mears testified he stabbed Robertson in self-defense, but on cross examination he admitted he walked five or six steps away from Robertson after stabbing him more than 60 times, then stabbed him twice more in the head, Mievis said.

"He agreed (during his testimony) that was not self-defense," Mievis said this afternoon.

Mears' attorney Jon Rankin asked the jury to consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Mears had confessed to Mill Valley police about his involvement in an auto burglary and implicated another suspect, Rankin said. Mears then felt threatened because he now had a reputation as a snitch and believed Robertson had turned against him for cooperating with law
enforcement, Rankin said.

Three members of Robertson's family spoke at the emotional sentencing, Mievis said. Mievis said she agreed with them when they told Sweet Robertson was hunted and butchered, not just murdered.

"The defendant deserves life in prison," Mievis said.

Rankin did not argue against the state prison term and Mears did not address Robertson's family or the court, Mievis said.

--Bay City News Service


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.