Michael Young and his attorney

Michael Vincent Young, 57, was sentenced to six years prison on September 30 for killing his brother Robb “without malice.”

Young told investigators that tension had been building for a long time between he and his 51-year-old brother, but they hadn’t had a physical fight since he was 8 years old.

Michael admitted punching his brother Robb at least twice in the head last February, in what the prosecutor characterized as “the coffee pot incident.”

The brothers were staying at their father’s home in San Marcos last winter; they usually came out West over the holidays since they both lived in Minnesota and wanted to avoid the harsh weather there. And both brothers worked in construction and that work tends to fall off in winter anyway.

According to a detective who testified, when Robb drove his pickup truck out to California, he reportedly offered a ride to his brother Michael but his older brother declined, saying there was “no way he was going to spend so many hours” with his annoying brother. Michael described his brother as mouthy, irritating, and obnoxious, according to sheriff’s investigators.

Robb last annoyed his brother on the morning of February 19. Michael said in a recorded interview that Robb could be heard at 2:40 a.m., 4 a.m., and 6 a.m. Sometimes he spoke loudly on the phone and sometimes he was puttering with the coffee in the kitchen. Michael finally followed his brother outside and found him standing in the driveway of their father's home at 1708 Victoria Way, in a gated community in San Marcos.

Robb was holding a blue thermos mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Michael told his brother he was inconsiderate and Robb told Michael he was a jerk.

Michael admitted shoving his brother first, according to sheriff’s detective Juan Lopez, who recorded their interview. “You need to grow up and be an adult” was the last thing Michael told his brother before he walked back into the house, leaving his brother on his knees, spitting up coffee.

The autopsy determined that Robb suffered bleeding in his brain and died of blunt force trauma to the head. Robb weighed 190 pounds, the same as his brother Michael.

When Michael was informed that his brother had died, he apologized. “He said that he did not intend for Robb to die or be killed,” according to detective Lopez.

Michael pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in August, and prosecutor Marnie Layon dropped a murder charge in the plea deal.