A brutal attack that lasted just 33 seconds resulted in the tragic deaths of teenage best friends Mason Rist and Max Dixon. Both boys were killed in a case of mistaken identity that occurred near Mason’s home, with five people, including four teenagers and a 45-year-old man, detained for their parts in the murders. A six-week trial at Bristol Crown Court resulted in all five defendants being convicted of two counts of murder last month.
During the sentencing hearing, Riley Tolliver, 18, and Kodishai Wescott, 17, were detained for a minimum of 23 years each for their parts in the killings. Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy were detained for life with minimum terms of 15 and 18 years, respectively. The news of the verdicts has left many people shattered and heartbroken, especially Mason’s sister, Chloe Rist, who delivered an emotional impact statement while holding her brother’s ashes and a lock of his hair.
Days before the sentencing hearing, Chloe told a reporter that she had a plan but did not go into detail. At the hearing, she shocked everyone by holding aloft a plastic pouch containing Mason’s ashes, as well as a clear bag containing a tuft of his hair and his handprints, which were made following his death. Chloe made a heartfelt speech, reminding the killers that her brother had not deserved to die. Her statement was met with stunned silence in the courtroom.
CCTV footage played a significant role in the trial. The cameras at Mason’s house captured almost everything that occurred during the tragic incident. The footage shows Max and Mason ambling out onto the street, only to be chased by the teenage killers, brandishing swords and machetes. Mason’s heartbroken mother, Nikki Knight, could not bring herself to watch the footage during the trial. Due to the age of the defendants, the victims’ families were not allowed inside the courtroom and had to watch proceedings from the public gallery.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the defence barristers had told the court about the killers’ “bleak and desolate” upbringings. The judge acknowledged that the remorse expressed by the defendants was genuine, but noted that their behaviour told a different story. The judge thanked the defence teams for representing the killers and acknowledged the loss and grief suffered by the victims’ families. Despite the horrific tragedy that struck their family, Max and Mason’s families showed an incredible amount of restraint and hope that the teenage killers may one day change. Chloe left the killers with a powerful message, that she hopes their apologies are genuine and that they never forget Mason because he did not deserve his tragic fate
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