(CNN) A Utah teenager who helped a girl hang herself last year was sentenced Friday to between five years and life in prison as part of a plea deal. 
 
 In May 2017, 16-year-old Jchandra Brown hanged herself at a campground in Payson, Utah, while her friend Tyerell Przybycien recorded it on his cell phone. Her body was discovered the next day. 
 
 Prosecutors said Przybycien bought the rope and tied the noose Brown put around her neck, and he purchased the compressed air she used to knock herself out before dying. 
 
 Przybycien also provided commentary as he recorded her last moments on a 10-minute video. 
 
 Przybycien, now 19, had been charged with first-degree murder but in October agreed to plead guilty to child abuse homicide. He was given 580 days credit for time served in jail. 
 
 Read More ||||| 6PM: 'There will never be true justice': Prison ordered for Utah man who filmed girl's suicide 
 
 5PM: 'There will never be true justice': Prison ordered for Utah man who filmed girl's suicide 
 
 PROVO — Jchandra Brown's family knew what her immediate future held before she died at age 16: prom, cheerleading tryouts and a trip to visit close friends in her native Idaho. 
 
 More than a year and a half after her death, they wrestle with how the rest of the spunky teenager's life would have played out — where she would have gone to college, whether she would serve a mission in her faith and who she might marry one day. 
 
 "There never will be true justice for Jchandra, because she never will come home," her mother, Sue Bryan, said in a crowded courtroom Friday, wiping away tears. 
 
 Her family came closer to justice Friday when a judge ordered at least five years and up to life in prison for the 19-year-old man who helped her die in Payson Canyon and took video of the process. 
 
 Tyerell Przybycien admitted in October that he bought rope, tied a noose, built a pedestal and did not try to save Jchandra on May 5, 2017. He was originally charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony, after reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors. 
 
 At the time of Jchandra's death, Utah's criminal code didn't address penalties for helping a person carry out suicide. The case motivated Utah lawmakers to add the offense to the state's manslaughter statute earlier this year. 
 
 Jchandra, who loved Batman and her young nephews, would still be alive if not for Przybycien, prosecutors said Friday. They called him a "sociopath" who researched ways to die and carefully measured the rope, nooses and trees. 
 
 The pair, who both attended Spanish Fork High School, knew each other for some time. But Jchandra didn't confide in Przybycien that she had thoughts of suicide until about a month before her death, said Utah County prosecutor Chad Grunander. 
 
 "She was an anxious, downcast teenager … trying to find her place in the world," Grunander said. "He pounced on her suicidal ideations and exploited them." 
 
 After the hearing, the girl's mother said Jchandra had recently lost her grandfather in a car crash and had broken up with her boyfriend, but she didn't believe the teen would have taken her life without Przybicien's encouragement. 
 
 On the day of her death, Przybycien picked up the girl from work and drove her to a spot near Maple Lake, court documents show. After turkey hunters found her body hanging from a tree the next day, investigators found several items at her feet, including a receipt with his name for the purchase of a rope, a note referencing the recording on her phone that was left there and a can of air duster, court documents say. 
 
 On Friday, family members in the courtroom cried as they held poster-size pictures of Jchandra with an illustrated floral headdress matching her bright blue hair and a peace-sign necklace. 
 
 "Every day I wake up and have to live the horror of her death over and over again. And every morning I wake up hoping it's not true," her mother said. 
 
 Later in the hearing, a shackled Przybycien apologized to her. 
 
 "I'm hoping, although I don't deserve it, the victim's family will be able to forgive me for my immature and thoughtless and rash decisions," he said. "What I did, I'm not proud." 
 
 He added he will try to improve so that one day he can have a career, family and home, he added. 
 
 But prosecutors argued he has not shown remorse, even bragging about the girl's death, writing to others that he plans to get a tattoo of a noose and cheering news of rising suicide rates in Utah. 
 
 If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. Crisis Hotlines Utah County Crisis Line: 801-691-5433 
 
 Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000 
 
 Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393 
 
 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 
 
 Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386 Online resources NAMI Utah: namiut.org 
 
 Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com 
 
 Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org Warning signs of suicide Talking about wanting to die 
 
 Looking for a way to kill oneself 
 
 Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose 
 
 Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain 
 
 Talking about being a burden to others 
 
 Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs 
 
 Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly 
 
 Sleeping too little or too much 
 
 Withdrawing or feeling isolated 
 
 Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge 
 
 Displaying extreme mood swings The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide. Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. What to do if you see warning signs of suicide Do not leave the person alone 
 
 Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt 
 
 Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) 
 
 Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional Information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 
 
 Stewart said his client had recently turned 18 at the time of the girl's death and meant to help her, though "how he chose to help was obviously wrong." A mixture of alcohol and drug use, combined with his client's developing teen brain, led to "poor decisions," Stewart said. He asked the judge to impose jail time and probation instead of prison. 
 
 But Przybycien is likely to reoffend if released, argued Utah County deputy attorney Christine Scott. She read from statements he allegedly made to family members and friends, saying he likes child pornography, feels attraction for his 12-year-old cousin and rejects his family. 
 
 "These are the types of people for whom prisons were built," she said. 
 
 Przybycien's family members painted a different picture of him. They recalled a young Tyerell as a math whiz who was helpful to his family and spent time restoring and repairing old cars. His mother, Brittney Johnson, clutching a tissue, told the judge her son has a support system "that is behind him 110 percent." 
 
 Her son showed little emotion as the judge sentenced him to five years in prison and up to life in the girl's death. He also received a lesser prison term of up to five years on a separate conviction of attempting to exploit a minor, a third-degree felony, after investigators found child pornography on his phone. The judge allowed the terms to run at the same time. 
 
 Those experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide can reach a crisis worker 24/7 by calling a Utah crisis hotline at 801-587-3000 or using the SafeUT app. 
 
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 Related Stories ||||| Shannon Smith (left) with Brooklynn, Robert Takach and Bradyn. (Courtesy of Patty Todd) 
 
 When Bradyn Smith was 4, his father put him in time-out and his mother got mad. 
 
 He said he heard his parents fighting. He said he saw his father shove his mother. Then, he said, he watched his mother grab a knife, drive it through his father’s chest and toss it into the sink. 
 
 His father, Robert Takach, died at the hospital at age 25. 
 
 His mother, Shannon Smith, now 29, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in the 2009 slaying. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 
 
 Smith appeared Wednesday in court in Warren County, Ohio, to ask for early release. In anticipation, her now 10-year-old son, Bradyn, penned a letter to the judge, asking him to keep his mother behind bars. 
 
 “Dear Judge Peeler: I feel that my mom should stay in prison because I seen her stab my dad clean through the heart with my sister in his arms,” Bradyn wrote in pencil. 
 
 “Life for me would be 10 times better if mom didn’t kill my dad because that took a big amount of happiness out of mine and my sister’s life,” he wrote. 
 
 [Pre-teen girls accused of stabbing friend 19 times to honor mythological creature] 
 
 At Wednesday’s hearing, the judge set Smith’s release date for December 2016, marking seven years of incarceration, her attorney, Charlie Rittgers, said. For three years after her release, she will be on community control, which is similar to probation, and she will be on house arrest the first year. 
 
 “We’re happy that the decision was made to let her out early,” he said. “We know it was a difficult decision for everyone involved. Hopefully she can start to mend her relationships and reunite with her children.” 
 
 Takach’s mother, Patty Todd, said in an interview after the hearing that she was still in shock. 
 
 “The judge said she needed to be out to be there for her children — but her children are afraid of her,” Todd said. “She took a life in front of her children. The court just disregarded the children’s lives, my son’s life.” 
 
 Shannon Smith. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) 
 
 By most accounts, Smith and Takach had a rough relationship. The two met when they were children and, in 2004, had one of their own: Bradyn. The new parents moved in together and, in 2007, had a girl, whom they name Brooklynn. 
 
 But violence, drugs and alcohol kept coming between them. 
 
 In 2008, Takach was ordered to undergo treatment at a rehabilitation center in Ohio, according to a 2011 court opinion. 
 
 Three months later, Takach went home. Smith, however, had moved on and was pregnant with another man’s child. 
 
 Regardless, in January 2009, Takach was at her doorstep with his belongings. 
 
 “Smith did not want Takach to move back in, because she wanted to start a new life,” according to the 2011 opinion from now-retired Judge William Young of Ohio’s 12th District Court of Appeals. “However, she did not ‘say anything because [she] didn’t want there to be a problem’ and so she agreed to let Takach stay for a day so he could spend some time with their children.” 
 
 It was Jan. 29, 2009, and the two were fighting in the apartment in Franklin, about 20 miles from Dayton. Smith later told police that Takach started “pushing” her on the stomach, asking, “How could [she] do this to him?” according to the court document. 
 
 She said he grabbed her throat. She said she could not breathe or tell him to stop, so she pulled a knife and swung it, intending to cut his arm, the court document said. 
 
 When investigators arrived at the scene, then-4-year-old Bradyn told them that “his mommy stabbed his daddy and put the knife in the sink,” according to the document. 
 
 [Sitter stumbles upon blood-covered stabbing suspect who says he ‘slayed the beast’] 
 
 Smith was charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. At trial, she was acquitted of murder but convicted on the other two charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. 
 
 
 
 From left: Brooklynn, Robert Takach, Shannon Smith and Bradyn. (Courtesy of Patty Todd) 
 
 “The jury found in the case that the crime was a result of serious provocation, which is a mitigating factor but not an excuse for Shannon’s actions; she realizes that,” Rittgers said before Wednesday’s hearing. “She has spent every day thinking about her wrongdoing, and she’ll think about this regardless of the outcome. 
 
 “She’ll think about this until the day she dies.” 
 
 Still, Takach’s family feared an early release. 
 
 “She knew when she did this it would devastate the people who once loved her. She did it to her children. She did it to her family,” Todd said before the hearing. “It’s just not justice. At least we should get the justice that was handed out.” 
 
 “In another five years, Bradyn will be 15; Brooklynn will be 13,” she added. “They’ll be older and better able to handle the situation. They’re afraid of her, and I don’t want them to have to go through that.” 
 
 Several weeks ago, Todd told Bradyn that his mother was trying to get out of prison. 
 
 “I don’t believe in keeping secrets from Bradyn,” she said. “I felt the need to tell him his mother may be able to get out of prison. When I told him, he wound up crying in my lap for an hour.” 
 
 Bradyn told Todd that he wanted to talk to the judge. 
 
 Instead, the court encouraged him to write a letter. 
 
 The letter, scribbled on two pages torn from a notebook and shared with The Washington Post, is filled with Bradyn’s memories of his father — and mentions of the new memories he would have made if his father “was still here.” 
 
 “I think it would be better for me and my sister if my mom would stay in prison,” he wrote in the letter, “because I am afraid of her because I have seen what she did to my dad.” 
 
 Todd read the letter at Wednesday’s hearing. Asked what the judge said, she replied: “Nothing. Nothing.” 
 
 But Smith’s attorney said the letter rattled his client. 
 
 “She cried throughout the hearing,” Rittgers said. “It was difficult, obviously, to hear the pain people have gone through. It was difficult hearing that letter, as it would have been difficult for any mother to hear.” 
 
 But Rittgers said that in the presence of Smith’s family, Bradyn shows a different sentiment. 
 
 “Obviously he’s nervous, but he has told them he’s excited to see his mother,” he said. 
 
 [‘Mad’ stabbings turn Ikea store in Sweden into a house of horrors] 
 
 Smith’s father, Michael Smith, sent a letter to the judge explaining that her children had not “actually been held, kissed and hugged” by Smith in years and “have been without their parents long enough.” 
 
 Her mother, Wendy Geis, wrote that the only positive piece left from the couple’s relationship is their children. 
 
 “I know there is nothing anyone can do to change what happened that horrible day,” Geis wrote. “I do not believe what happened that day was intentional. Not only did we lose Robbie that day, but we lost a part of our daughter that will never be the same. She will carry with her the rest of her life that tragic day.” 
 
 It’s a day Bradyn will carry forever, as well, his grandmother said. 
 
 “He remembers it,” she said. “It’s in his brain. It’s in his heart. It’s something he’s never going to forget.” 
 
 This story has been updated. 
 
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 Pregnant Colorado woman stabbed, her baby ‘removed,’ after answering Craigslist ad 
 
 The chilling case of the teen who ‘wanted to see what it was like’ to kill 
 
 A mother’s killing leads police to suspect her daughter’s faked disability was part of an elaborate hoax 
 
 ‘Lock the door!’ 911 caller says during Oklahoma beheading. ‘He has stabbed someone.’
– A teenager found guilty of helping his schoolmate hang herself has received his prison sentence: five years to life, CNN reports. Tyerell Przybycien, now 19, bought the rope and compressed air that 16-year-old Jchandra Brown used to take her own life in a Utah campground in May 2017. He also shot video as she inhaled the air, passed out, fell from a wooden pedestal, and hanged herself. "What I did I'm not proud," he said in court, per KSL, "and it doesn't deserve pity." Brown's mother, Sue Bryan, took a big framed photograph of Jchandra into the Provo courtroom. "I don't want him out to cause pain and havoc on anyone else's family, anyone else's children," Bryan told the court. "I cannot describe to you the pain of losing a child." Przybycien, initially charged with murder, pleaded guilty to child abuse homicide in a plea bargain, per the Salt Lake Tribune. But in Bryan's words, "There never will be true justice for Jchandra, because she never will come home." (In related news, a skydiving instructor killed himself during a tandem jump.)