Posted on 05/04/2007 9:42:03 AM PDT by grundle
The Associated Press
BROOKVILLE, Pa. -- A man who already served a prison sentence for third-degree murder was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his second third-degree murder conviction.
"You took a life again, and you deserve to have your life taken from you," Jefferson County Judge John Foradora told Earl John Fry, who pleaded guilty yesterday.
Mr. Fry, 34, said he stabbed Frank J. Hulton IV, 41, in October 2005 in Punxsutawney after the two spent the day drinking and smoking marijuana. He said that Mr. Hulton had abused his family but that he was still sorry for the crime.
Under state law, a person convicted of third-degree murder a second time must be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. District Attorney Jeff Burkett had planned to seek the death penalty, but decided against it when Mr. Fry agreed to plead guilty.
"Any sentence that put Earl Fry away for the rest of his life was acceptable to me," Mr. Burkett said.
In 1988, Mr. Fry pleaded guilty to shooting Ronald Lee Shaffer, of Punxsutawney, during a robbery. Mr. Fry, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was tried as an adult and sentenced to nine to 20 years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
I’ve never really understood third degree murder.
If first degree is premeditated and 2nd degree is non-premeditated then what’s left?
...Under state law, a person convicted of third-degree murder a second time must be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.....Murder is lovelier the second time around...(courtesy of this stupid law).
In PA 1st degree is premeditated, 2nd degree is unpremeditated during the commission of another felony, 3rd degree is unpremeditated while not in the commission of another felony.
Let’s not be too judgemental. Maybe the poor man just likes to kill. Merv Griffin explained this when he was discovered to be the Windex Elevator Killer in The Man with Two Brains.
And then he sentences him to life?????
Yeah, and the chance that some appeals court to overturn this verdict is not implausible. The only way “to have your live taken away from you” is the death penalty IMO, or did I miss something here?
I forgot that murder was a crime.
Killed two, why is this guy still hanging around?
So he has the possibility of killing maybe a prison guard?
Or maybe a non violent type who happens to be in jail and runs across this vermin?
Possibly a pot smoker for GODs sake. Maybe a guy behind on his alimony.
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