Thursday, December 10, 2009

A Wichita man, who pleaded guilty to murder, is sentenced to prison. But the victim's family isn't happy with the outcome.

"It was a horrendous act on your part," said Judge Joe Kisner.

And with that, Judge Kisner sentenced Albert Thomas to more than 13 years in prison.

"You emptied this gun into her and this is something this court can have no sympathy whatsoever for you and your actions," said Kisner.

But the victim's family feels his actions should have carried a lot more time.

"I don't feel right about that. They should have given him the death penalty. They should have given him life in prison," said the victim's mother Teresa Walker.

The family says the state should have pursued first degree murder charges instead of agreeing to a plea deal. In October, Thomas pleaded guilty to second degree murder for the shooting death of Deshonda Walker.

He shot her while she was sitting in a car outside her grandmother's house. Police say it happened because of ongoing argument over parking. But Walker's family says there was more; that Walker rebuffed Thomas' affections.

Whatever it was about, Thomas' attorney asked for the minimum sentence of eleven years.

"There would have been an argument and a strong argument for the defense here that this was done in the heat of passion," said Defense Attorney Richard Nay.

But even though the judge went with the maximum he could, -Walker's family feels no closure.

"Although we did get some sort of justice today that wasn't it. That wasn't right," said Walker's cousin Ebony Walker.