Lubbock man sentenced to 40 years in finace's stabbing death

Leroy Miranda said planning his younger brother's funeral was one of the most painful moments of his life.

It's one of the many reasons he told Derek Kimbrough, 35, that he couldn't forgive him for killing his brother.

"I don't ever want to experience that again," he told Kimbrough. "And I hope I don't. That was the worst pain I ever went through."

Kimbrough, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since his July 3, 2021 arrest, was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder, which carries a punishment of five years to life in prison.

He admitted to the July 2, 2021 stabbing death of his fiancé, 36-year-old Jason Miranda, at the Brentwood Apartments in the 3200 block of West Loop 289.

He entered his plea ahead of a trial set for Monday in the 140th District Court.

"We're obviously happy with the 40-year prison sentence and the family is happy and that's all that really matters," said prosecutor Cassie Graham.

Lubbock police responded about 9:13 p.m. to the apartment for reports of a domestic disturbance.

Responding officers found Kimbrough standing over Miranda, covered in blood, suffering a stab wound in the chest, according to an arrest warrant.

Miranda was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center where he died.

Meanwhile, investigators with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit spoke with Kimbrough, who requested treatment by EMS because his head hurt, the warrant states.

Kimbrough told investigators Miranda gave him a "relentless beating" to the head, then told investigators he didn't remember anything else and requested an attorney, the warrant states.

Graham said investigators found no injuries such as marks, bruises or abrasions on Kimbrough from the beating he said Miranda doled out. They also found no marks on Miranda's hands that showed he beat Kimbrough before the stabbing.

"So that just fell completely flat," she said.

Kimbrough was arrested on scene and he was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center.

Leroy Miranda told Kimbrough during his victim-impact statement that when he went to his brother's apartment after his death, he could see the bloody aftermath of his actions.

"I saw everything he had last touched and where his spirit left his body," he said.

He said he was horrified to imagine his brother's last moments of fear and pain.

"If you were trying to hurt everyone who loved Jason and Jason loved, you succeeded," he said.

Amanda Rodriguez, in her victim impact statement, told Kimbrough she remembered her brother painting a pretty picture of him when she first met him.

"That quickly turned into many red flags early on," she said.

But her brother followed his heart when she tried to warn him.

"I know Chachi wouldn't put his hands on you unless he was loving you," she said. "And that would be gentle."

She told Kimbrough that his actions robbed her family of many more years with her brother.

"What should have been a fun day quickly turned into mine and my family's heart being completely shattered because of your selfishness," she said. " You took a big part of our heart away."

She told Kimbrough she saw no remorse in his face when his mugshot came up on the news.

"Looking at you now, I still get that same feeling and I hate it," she said.

Adrian Rodriguez told Kimbrough that his actions ripped his family apart. He said he robbed him of a chance to celebrate the Texas Ranger's World Series win with his brother the night before.

"I should have been able to celebrate the World Series win with him instead of at his graveside," he said.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock man admits to fiance's stabbing death