Andrew W. Braun's body was so mutilated when he was killed for a drug debt that only his left arm could be viewed by his family before his funeral, according to a witness-impact statement read in court on Wednesday.

Carlos Yobani-Flores Amador, 38, was sentenced to 25 1/2 years in prison for his role in Braun's murder in March on St. Paul's East Side. Amador pleaded guilty in July to aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Authorities say that Amador, Santana M. Valdez, 36, and Maria H. Luna, 49, all of St. Paul, used a screwdriver, samurai sword, hair spray and other weapons to kill Braun over a $12,000 drug debt.

Braun's mother, Linda Braun, pleaded with Ramsey County District Court Judge Gregg Johnson for a stiff sentence. "He was dearer to me than my life," she said of her only child.

Amador told the judge he regretted his actions, but Johnson was unmoved. "This was a brutal murder," Johnson said.

The judge also ordered Amador to pay Braun's mother $12,561.68 in restitution.

Luna pleaded guilty last week to aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact. She will be sentenced in November.

Valdez's case is scheduled to go to trial in February. Amador and Luna have agreed to testify against him as part of their plea agreements.

CHAO XIONG