Laguna Alumnus Gets 16 Years for Stabbing Death of High School Pal

A man convicted of fatally stabbing his longtime friend at a Santa Monica apartment was sentenced today to 16 years to life in state prison.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Dabney denied a defense’s motion to reduce Ryan Taylor Bright’s conviction from second-degree murder to voluntary manslaughter, according to Deputy District Attorney Heather Steggell.

The judge also denied the defense’s motion for a new trial for Bright, now 29.

Bright was convicted Dec. 22 of the July 11, 2012, death of Jensen Gray, 27, who was stabbed four times.

The motive for the attack was unclear, but the two had been drinking and arguments between them had been escalating throughout the night, according to the prosecutor.

Bright -- who claimed the stabbing was in self-defense -- was arrested near the scene of the crime and has remained in jail since then.

The two had known each other since middle school and attended Laguna Beach High School together. The pair had multiple convictions in Orange County for drug possession and other charges.

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City News Service

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