The man who admitted to killing Terrell officer Jacob Candanoza is expected to be sentenced Wednesday, bringing what the officer’s family hopes will be the end of a painful chapter. Candanoza’s father, David Candanoza, said no punishment will erase the pain of losing his son, but he hopes the s entencing will provide some measure of closure. Behind the badge, Jacob Candanoza was a husband, father and son whose law enforcement career was just beginning. “Jacob was just one of the good ones,” David Candanoza said. His father said he thinks about and talks to his son every day. Inside David Candanoza’s skating rink sits a memorial dedicated to his son — one of the last places he saw him alive. “I call it my Jacob box,” he said. The memorial is filled with pictures, police patches and flags that help him feel connected to his son. David Candanoza said it has also helped him through some of life’s most difficult moments, including when he recently received a call from the district attorney. David Candanoza said he learned the family would not have to relive the events of Dec. 8, 2024, through a lengthy trial after the suspect admitted guilt. “The guy had emailed him and said, you know, he’s guilty. He just wants to plead guilty without the, life in prison without the possibility of parole. DA said, OK, it’s a deal,” he said. Darrion Cortez Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. “I don’t mind that. I know it’s gonna be a lot of heartache in the trials,” David Candanoza said. Now, he said his focus is on continuing to fill the “Jacob box” with police patches sent from departments across the country and keeping his son’s memory alive. “They send it to me, I know they would think about it for at least a one second while they’re filling out the address, you know,” he said. David Candanoza said he never wants people to forget his son. “I never want his name to end, so I’m always talking about him. Bring it up,” he said. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less