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U.S. NEWS Saturday 27 May 2017

South Carolina man admits to killing 7; gets life sentence

By JEFFREY COLLINS woman while holding her
Associated Press against her will, and told
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) her he had also killed a hus-
— A prosecutor wanted band and wife in Decem-
to send a man who killed ber 2015, burying their bod-
seven people in South ies on his land. Johnny Joe
Carolina to death row, but Coxie, 29, was killed imme-
the state’s lack of execu- diately, and Kohlhepp kept
tion drugs and the desire of 26-year-old Meagan Leigh
victims’ relatives to never McCraw-Coxie alive for six
see him again led authori- days before shooting her
ties to accept a deal for life in the back of the head on
in prison without parole for Christmas, Barnette said.
the serial killer. The woman who had been
Todd Kohlhepp plead- chained up also said Kohl-
ed guilty Friday to seven hepp admitted to her that
counts of murder for the he had killed four people in
killings that took place over the Superbike motorcycle
well over a decade - as he shop in November 2003,
ran a real estate business. the prosecutor said.
“I just want him to go The owner, Scott Ponder,
away,” said Lorraine Lucas, 30; Beverly Guy, 52; Brian
whose son’s killing, along Lucas, 30; and Chris Sher-
with three others, was un- bert, 26 were killed be-
solved for 13 years before cause Kohlhepp thought Todd Kohlhepp appears in court on Friday, May 26, 2017 in Spartanburg, S.C. Kohlhepp, who ad-
deputies found a woman they were making fun of mitted killing seven people over nearly 13 years while running a successful real estate business,
chained in a storage con- him. Guy was Ponder’s pleaded guilty Friday to seven counts of murder and a number of other charges.
tainer on Kohlhepp’s prop- mother and worked as a (John Byrum/The Spartanburg Herald-Journal via AP)
erty in Spartanburg County. bookkeeper. Lucas was a According to the plea room. About a dozen of dead.
Officers went to the prop- service manager, and Sher- agreement signed by Kohl- them spoke, standing just “He hates you with his little
erty because the woman’s bert was a mechanic at the hepp, he will serve seven feet from Kohlhepp. He heart,” she told Kohlhepp.
cellphone gave a signal shop. Kohlhepp showed up consecutive life terms plus didn’t look at them, and Kohlhepp’s lawyer, Shane
last August. As they freed on a list of customers for 60 years on kidnapping, many ignored him as well. Goranson, said his client
her, she told deputies Kohl- the shop, but was never a sexual assault and other Johnny Coxie’s mother said hopes the plea agreement
hepp killed her boyfriend, serious suspect in the case. charges. Kohlhepp, 46, will his 7-year-old son held out begins to bring the victims’
32-year-old Charles David Instead, investigators fo- not be eligible for parole, hope that his father was families peace.
Carter, after they came to cused on a bogus love tri- and he also agreed not to alive for months after he The woman chained in
his land two months before angle involving Ponder’s appeal the sentence. disappeared. Cindy Coxie the container didn’t come
to help him clean, Solicitor wife and Lucas and other More than 50 family mem- said the worst day of her life to court. Her lawyer said
Barry Barnette said. leads that went nowhere bers and friends of the sev- came when she had to tell she didn’t want to see
Kohlhepp raped the as possible motives. en victims filled the court- the boy that his father was Kohlhepp.q

Federal judge tosses out life sentences for DC sniper Malvo

By MATTHEW BARAKAT mandatory life sentences for the murders that oc- teria for a harsh sentence. sought a death sentence,
Associated Press for juveniles are unconstitu- curred there. But his lawyers A spokesman for Virginia but a jury opted for life in
McLEAN, Va. (AP) — A fed- tional. have made an appeal on Attorney General Mark Her- prison.
eral judge on Friday tossed Malvo was 17 when he was similar grounds in that state. ring did not return a phone He then negotiated a plea
out two life sentences for arrested in 2002 for a se- A hearing is scheduled in call and email seeking bargain in Spotsylvania
one of Virginia’s most no- ries of shootings that killed June. comment Friday. County and agreed to a
torious criminals, sniper Lee 10 people and wounded Fairfax County Common- Malvo’s first trial took place life sentence.
Boyd Malvo, and ordered three in Virginia, Maryland wealth’s Attorney Ray Mor- in Chesapeake after a Jackson, in his ruling, wrote
Virginia courts to hold new and the District of Colum- rogh, who helped pros- judge agreed to move it that Malvo was entitled to
sentencing hearings. bia, causing widespread ecute Malvo in 2003, said from Fairfax because of a new sentencing hear-
In his ruling, U.S. District fear throughout the region. the Virginia attorney gen- pretrial publicity. A jury ing because the Supreme
Judge Raymond Jack- His accomplice, John Allen eral can appeal Jackson’s convicted Malvo of capi- Court’s ruling grants new
son in Norfolk said Malvo Muhammad, was execut- ruling. If not, Morrogh said tal murder, which under rights to juveniles that Mal-
is entitled to new sentenc- ed in 2009. he would pursue another Virginia law requires either vo didn’t know he had
ing hearings after the U.S. Malvo also was sentenced life sentence, saying he be- a death sentence or life when he agreed to the
Supreme Court ruled that to life in prison in Maryland lieves Malvo meets the cri- without parole. Prosecutors plea bargain.q