A University City man who stabbed his roommate to death in 2019 has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Brandon Ganskow, 37, had attacked the victim, Kevin Crosthwaite, 56, once before with a knife, but Crosthwaite forgave him and allowed him to return to his house in the 5300 block of Bothe Avenue when Ganskow finished a jail term on terms of probation.

“He was a victim who had a big heart,” said Deputy District Attorney Matt Greco. “Unfortunately, on July 8, 2019, history repeated itself in a very sad way.”

Ganskow had moved his mother into the house in 2019, and she called police when the victim was injured. Crosthwaite was stabbed seven times in the neck with scissors. Ganskow had developed delusions that Crosthwaite kept track of his movements through phones and devices, the prosecutor said.

Ganskow pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a murder charge was dismissed. He also pleaded guilty to using the scissors as a deadly weapon and received five years consecutively for injuring Crosthwaite in the prior case to add up to 18 years, said the prosecutor.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Eugenia Eyherabide gave Ganskow credit for nearly three years spent in jail at his sentencing on June 30.