A 46-year old woman from McDowell County, West Virginia, has been sentenced to 6-plus years for her role in the deaths of two men, 21 and 46, from Iaeger.
The woman pleaded guilty to third-degree arson and accessory after the fact, both felonies. She sought forgiveness after expressing her remorse to the families of the men who were killed, but the judge told her, “Due to the seriousness of this offense and just how bad it really was, your sentences will run consecutively.” She was originally charged with two counts of arson and first-degree murder.
The murders occurred in October 2014. Both men were found burned to death in a pickup truck. Her husband was sentenced to two life sentences in June 2016 after he was convicted of first-degree murder, third-degree arson and felony conspiracy in the men’s murders. Another man was found not guilty in January 2017 on two counts of first-degree murder, but guilty of accessory after-the-fact of murder and third-degree arson. He has not been sentenced yet.
The jury in the woman’s husband’s trial did not recommend mercy on the murder conviction. This means that he will not be eligible for parole after serving 15 years of his life sentence.
The woman decided that a plea bargain was right for her. If you are facing serious criminal charges, your attorney may attempt to get a plea bargain for you. Your lawyer can explain whether a plea bargain may be the right choice in your case. However, the choice is ultimately yours.
Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph, “Longpole murders: Woman gets up to 8 years on charges connected to grisly slayings,” Greg Jordan, June 14, 2017