EVANSTON— “A 30-second mistake shouldn’t end your life when you’re essentially a child,” Third District Court Judge James Kaste told 18-year-old Jayden Bitsue, who was facing up to 20 years behind bars, last week.

Bitsue, of Evanston, was initially charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault and battery for stabbing a neighbor during an altercation last summer. He pleaded no contest to a single count, as the second charge was dropped during court proceedings. 

On Friday, May 2, Kaste sentenced Bitsue to 8-10 years’ imprisonment with the possibility of a sentence reduction upon successful completion of the Department of Corrections (DOC) Youth Offender Program.

The incident resulting in the charges occurred on the evening of June 15, 2024, following a neighborhood noise dispute against Bitsue’s family. After an irate Bitsue, who was 17 years old and under the influence of alcohol at the time, crossed the street to confront the group of neighbors, the adult male victim attempted to intervene.

The victim advised Bitsue to leave the premises, at which point Bitsue attempted to punch the man. The two traded swings for a period before the victim placed Bitsue in a headlock, taking him to the ground.

According to an affidavit filed with the case, the victim then noticed a knife in Bitsue’s hand, at which point the man “grabbed Bitsue’s arm and placed it [in] an arm bar behind Bitsue’s back,” an action that would ultimately result in Bitsue injuring himself with the blade during the struggle.

A neighbor who witnessed the incident told investigators that “he saw Bitsue pull the knife from his right-hand side with his right hand and then stabbed [the victim] repeatedly.”

The victim was stabbed 10 times, sustaining multiple life-threatening injuries, including “lacerations to his left cheek, left armpit,” the region “on his chest wall between his chest and his abdomen, left pelvis and left elbow ... [and] a laceration to his right lower abdomen, which nearly ended his life,” court documents state.

The victim was rushed into emergency surgery at Evanston Regional Hospital (ERH) and, once stabilized, was life-flighted to the University of Utah.

“He had internal bleeding and had lost well over 2 liters of blood,” the affidavit states. An ambulance crew member later told law enforcement that the victim said “something like ‘he tried to kill me.’”

The victim, who has since moved out of the state, later developed several wound infections and required multiple subsequent surgeries. He suffers anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to the permanent visible injuries to his face and limited mobility of his arm.

The victim lost income while he was unable to work during recovery. Although he did not provide a personal statement, Uinta County Attorney Loretta Howieson Kallas said he expressed that “he’s grateful the assault didn’t take his life.”

Bitsue’s mother, Brittany Roberts, appealed to Kaste for a lenient sentence for her son.

“He was put in a position where he was fighting for his life,” she said.

She said in the months following the incident, her son, who has since turned 18, finished his GED, established stable employment and quit smoking marijuana.

“Prison isn’t a place that you learn good things,” she said, requesting a rehabilitative youth program. “He needs help instead of prison.”

“My son is a good kid. He made a bad choice — a choice he will never make again in his life,” Roberts said.

Jayden Bitsue’s father, Chase Bitsue, said “I feel for my son right now. I haven’t been the best parent ... he’s a good kid.”

Defense attorney Tammy Fields told the judge that Jayden Bitsue had completed a list of goals outlined for him by her office and had been consistently responsive throughout the proceedings. Acknowledging that he requires substance abuse treatment and that the crime was committed out of “instinct and impulsivity,” she also said that “he has shown a great deal of remorse... I believe he has thoughts of continuing to become a [contributing] member of society.”

A presentence investigation found Bitsue to be at a low or minimal risk of reoffending. “Recidivism rate is low,” Fields said, voicing concerns about potential negative influences on Bitsue while in the prison’s general population.

“I want to begin by taking full responsibility for my actions. I know what I did was wrong, and I regret what I did to the victim,” Bitsue said, addressing the court. “I’ve been trying to grow from this... I’m committed to doing this.”

Citing stable housing, employment and a strong support system, he said “they stand by me, and I want to be there for them.” 

Bitsue pleaded for consideration of a sentence that would allow him to continue growing with his family’s support.

“I won’t take the opportunity lightly,” he said.

Despite the fact that Bitsue told Kaste that he had not introduced the knife to the fight, Kallas maintained that he did per the subsequent investigation. 

Kallas cited the assailant’s age as the only reason he was not charged with attempted murder and further highlighted the fact that restitution was also not required in the case due to Medicaid of Utah footing the victim’s hospital and LifeFlight bill.

The only reason the victim survived, according to Kallas, was due to the immediate surgical intervention and stabilization by Dr. Jared Barton, who fortuitously happened to be on shift at ERH the evening of the assault. 

“You didn’t have to get into this fight,” said Kaste. “This was a choice that you made, and it was not a good one.” 

Bitsue concurred.

“You walked into the situation under the influence and with a bad attitude,” Kaste continued. “You’re lucky you’re not looking at a life sentence because he died. I hope you understand that.”

“If you screw up this opportunity, you will serve 8 to 10 years,” Kaste said, shortly before Bitsue was remanded into custody.

The Youth Offender Program is housed within the confines of the Wyoming State Prison in Rawlins. It is available for convicted felons aged 30 and under. Court-ordered recommendation is required for admittance to the 180-day program, which allows for an opportunity to apply for a reduced sentence once successfully completed.

It is structured much like military basic training, in which most of the inmates’ time is devoted to physical tasks and work ethic. Education, therapy and substance abuse programs are also available and utilized as needed.

Bitsue will have 30 days to appeal his sentence and is expected to pay a variety of court fines, including to the victim compensation fund.