Convicted murderer sentenced 50 years to life shows no remorse and claims he blacked out

Convicted murderer Michael Jay Saner, age 61, formerly of Navarro, was sentenced Thursday morning in the Mendocino County Superior Court to 50 years to life in state prison.

Having been convicted by jury of murder in the first degree, the designated punishment for that crime -- 25 years to life -- was imposed on the defendant. He also received a consecutive 25 years to life for his personal and intentional use of firearm to inflict death upon another.

The defendant continued to express outrage during today's sentencing hearing, claiming "the cops lied in their reports" and that he was being "railroaded."

In his trial testimony the defendant claimed he had blacked out during critical time periods which prevented him from being cross-examined as to what he might claim had happened just before, during, and after the shooting. Today, however, the defendant's memory had somehow recovered and he now remembers that the victim had a knife that the defendant believes justified his shooting the victim ... in the back. As the prosecutor pointed out, at least one eyewitnesses has been clear from the start in his statement that the victim was not armed with any sort of weapon when he was caught off guard at the friend's home and murdered.

The prosecutor who represented the People during today's sentencing hearing was Senior Deputy District Attorney Beth Norman.