On Monday, Judge Scott Freeman of the Reno Second Judicial Court sentenced Todd Tonnochy to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after ten years.
Tonnochy was found guilty in August of second-degree murder for killing eighteen-year-old Hailey Nieto at a downtown Reno motel.
Comprehensive Coverage of Todd Tonnochy Trial
Tonnochy shot and killed Nieto on March 21st, 2023, and then dismembered her body to fit it into a duffle bag. Judge Freeman called this the "most shocking case" he has seen in 40 years and said that it is his intention to see Tonnochy die in prison.
In addition to a life sentence in prison with the possibility of parole after ten years, the use of a deadly weapon enhances the charge by an additional five to ten years. Furthermore, Tonnochy faces three gross misdemeanor charges: 1) altering evidence, 2) conspiring to tamper with witnesses, and 3) dissuading individuals from testifying. Each of these charges carries a penalty of 360 days.
Additionally, the state was able to charge Tonnochy as a habitual criminal due to several prior felony charges he received before the murder. As a result, he will serve an additional sentence of 8 to 20 years.
During the hearing, Nieto's family delivered victim impact statements.
"My beautiful and precious Hailey was only 18, a teenager, a kid. She still has braces on, and she was murdered. My sister had to call the orthodontist to pay for her braces," said Hailey Nieto's aunt, Amy Meyer.
The defense contended that Tonnochy's shooting of Nieto was an accident and that his subsequent actions of dismembering her body and attempting to conceal it were influenced by a lifetime of trauma. In response, Judge Freeman stated that the sentences would be based on societal norms rather than Tonnochy's mental state.
