"The court imposes an indeterminate sentence of 20-years to life," the judge ruled.
Horace Moore takes with him to prison the compelling image of city bus drivers holding up bus transfer cards.
It was a white ticket that somehow fueled Moore's murderous rage and deadly stabbing of on-duty bus driver, Edwin Thomas.
"20-years is petty, you know, I'm not getting my brother back, over a transfer?" said Wallace Thomas, the victim's brother.
It was December of 2008 when Moore hopped aboard Thomas' B46 bus in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Thomas refused to give the ex-con a free bus transfer, which prompted Moore's fit of fury which started with a verbal assault, followed by a punch, and ended with knife plunged into the driver's chest.
The sentence of 20-years in prison left many of Thomas' union colleagues visibly upset and emotionally distraught.
They wanted the maximum for Moore, which would have been 25-years to life behind bars.
"That could have been me as a bus driver. That guy deserve life sentence. 20-years is nothing!" said Richard Jasmine, a NYC bus driver.
In court, the 22-year-old Moore apologized to Thomas' family and asked for their forgiveness.
"It was a big misunderstanding. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for nothing to happen that day," Moore said.
"I forgive him. But that's not going to bring my Dad back. Because of my praying, that's how I forgive him," said Edley Thomas, the victim's daughter.
In not issuing the maximum sentence, the judge explained his sentencing by saying that he had hope.
Hope that someday, maybe decades from now, Horace Moore might truly atone for what he did and gain some insight on the tremendous pain he caused.
