The sister of 2017 murder victim Shannon Graves tells 21 News she's feeling a whirlwind of different emotions now that her sister's killer, Arturo No-vo-a, filed a motion in court for a lesser charge than his life sentence.

Novoa believes a life sentence is too harsh but Graves' sister is on the opposing end.


"I'm disgusted with the whole thing," said Debbie DePaul, Graves' sister. "It doesn't surprise me that Arturo thinks that he should have a lesser sentence because he's never taken responsibility for what he did to my little sister from the beginning," she said.


Depaul tells 21 News she's outraged. She says Novoa took her little sister's life but wants his back.

Former colleagues of Graves say they just want justice for her.


"What he did was wrong, totally wrong and he should have to pay for it," said Henry Foust, former colleague of Graves. "You did the crime so do the jail time now, I don't think he should get time off," he said.


"I'm shocked that it's even a consideration," said Karyssa Novello, former colleague of Graves. "There's just not even enough words to express how gruesome his actions were," she said.


DePaul recalls everything Novoa had done to her sister and tearfully expressed her feelings.


"There's not a day that goes by that she's not thought of," said DePaul. "He hit her with a hammer that went straight through her skull to her brain and killed her instantly. Yet this man, after doing that, putting her in her own vehicle and driving her around town having a friend cut her up into pieces he feels that a life sentence is too long," she said.


The decision for Novoa's appeal is now in the hands of the Seventh District Court of Appeals and will be revealed at a later date.