KEENE — Craig Metivier was stabbed to death almost a year ago. But when his mother, Sonja Fletcher, walked out of the courtroom where his killer was sentenced Wednesday to 25 to 50 years in prison, she let out a cry so raw it could have been July 24, 2011 — the day her son died.

Ethan A. Wilson, 20, of Swanzey pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old Craig Metivier, who had lived in Marlborough.

The judge accepted Wilson's admission of guilt to second-degree murder and negotiated plea.

During the hearing, Assistant Attorney General James C. Vara, read text messages that Wilson had sent to Metivier leading up to the fight between the two.

In the text messages Wilson called Metivier several names including “faggot” and “bitch,” and taunted Metivier for standing up for a friend who Metivier said Wilson had stolen money from.

Wilson began crying when Metivier's sister made her victim impact statement to the court before the sentencing.

“I will not see him as a grown man. I will not know what he would have done with his life. You took a big piece of me,” said Metivier's only sibling, sister Kayla Calkins.

She promised Wilson she plans to attend his every parole hearing and ensure he spends the rest of his life in prison.

“I hope every holiday you will know what pain we're in,” Calkins said.

When Craig's mother spoke she talked about her year of mourning, her first Thanksgiving without Craig, his 18th birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, his graduation and next Tuesday, which is the first anniversary of his death.

“I had to say goodbye to Craig on a slab in a hospital room,” she said. “I would not wish this loss on anybody else.”

Metivier's cousin Jacob Fletcher said, “Our family has been shattered and broken.”

His uncle Brian Fletcher spoke directly to Wilson saying: “You took him away from all of us. Why, I don't understand. You killed Craig to avoid a black eye and a bloody nose. You had every intention of killing Craig that night. He had no intention of killing you. We will never forgive and we will never forget.”

After the victim statements Wilson's public defender, Donna F. Esposito, read a statement from Wilson, in which he apologized to Metivier's family.

“I wish I could take it back every moment of my life. I deeply regret what I have done.”

Because the courtroom had a 22 seat capacity, many of Metivier's friends and family had to wait outside of the courtroom.

They wore Metivier's favorite color green — shirts, headbands, hats and bracelets — and held photographs of him as a child and teenager.

Metivier had planned to enroll in culinary school. His family announced on Wednesday the creation of the Craig Michael Metivier Scholarship at the Savings Bank of Walpole for students who have a desire to study the culinary arts.

Members of Wilson's family also attended the hearing. They were tearful, but silent, declining to speak.

Metivier was found stabbed when police responded to a disturbance on Dunbar Street in downtown Keene on the night of July 24. He was taken to Cheshire Medical Center where he died.

The next morning Wilson was arrested and charged with the death.

Metivier died of a stab wound that perforated his heart and left lung, according to the state medical examiner, who has ruled the death a homicide.

According to the arrest affidavit Wilson confessed to stabbing Metivier in an interview with police and a state trooper on July 25.

In the interview he said Metivier was “just hitting him in the head.”

“He stated that when he looked up, he saw Metivier reach into his pocket and he did not know what Metivier was going to do, so he pulled out his knife that was clipped to his waistband, and stabbed Metivier,” the affidavit says. “After Metivier was stabbed, Metivier continued to come after him and told Wilson that he was going to kill him. The defendant did not want to get punched, so he stabbed Metivier again. The defendant started to run off after he stabbed Metivier again, and when he looked back, he saw Metivier hit the ground, so he ran away faster.”

Wilson said in the interview the fight occurred because Metivier and another person “had ripped him off.”

Though, in the arrest affidavit, Wilson does not say how Metivier had “ripped him off,” but said the other person had stolen a smoking pipe and money from him as well as kept a $100 Wilson had asked him to use to buy cocaine.

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Meghan Pierce may be reached at mpierce@newstote.com.