A Florida family is heartbroken after the woman who killed their loved one in a hit-and-run showed no remorse in court — not even a single word of apology.
Sharon Cox, 65, was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday for the crash that killed 63-year-old Patricia Garner and injured two others in the parking lot of a Miami Gardens community center in 2023.
Garner’s family packed the courtroom, hoping Cox would at least acknowledge the pain she caused. Instead, she stood silently as the judge handed down her sentence.
“Ms. Cox didn’t even stand up and say she was sorry,” said Sandra Welch, Garner’s sister-in-law, outside the courthouse. “She didn’t say one word.”
The family’s frustration had already been building for months. Earlier this year, they learned prosecutors had initially offered Cox a plea deal that would have meant just one year behind bars. Public outrage forced prosecutors to withdraw that offer and present a new deal: four years in prison.
“You have to fight for your own loved one,” said Garner’s brother, Bruce Baskin. “The system is not going to fight for your loved one — you have to fight. Patricia was not here to fight for herself.”
Even with the harsher sentence, the family believes it’s still too light.
“The community needs to be aware that people are running over people every day and leaving them laying on the street,” said Garner’s sister, Allie Mobley. “To get only the amount of time she got for killing her, it hurts.”
Though Cox never apologized, the family said they’ve chosen to forgive her — but not because it’s easy.
“I’m a Christian,” Welch said. “But at least in your heart, just say that you’re sorry. She didn’t even show remorse.”
Mobley added that not a single day passes without them missing Patricia. “We will always miss her,” she said.
As part of her plea deal, Cox will serve two years of probation after her release. Her driver’s license has been suspended for five years, and she must complete traffic school and 100 hours of community service.
In a statement, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said it understands no sentence can ever ease the pain of losing a loved one.
Cox’s attorney called the case “a tough one,” describing it as “a tragic accident” and expressing hope that the sentencing can bring the family some measure of closure.
Prison with hard labor.Reading about the good things that the Governor is doing in Florida make me think that God is helping him by exposing the satanic forces
She couldn’t care less. She looks proud of herself with that smug look on her face. She should spend a lot more time in prison with hard labor.