Sentencing range is too lenient

Published 11:33 am Friday, August 22, 2008

I am writing this to bring to light an injustice that was handed my family and the memory of my brother Ken Wolfe, who was killed at the Brookside Motel in Monroe on Feb. 26 by an evicted tenant. (Aug. 8 article, “Man’s remorse follows fatal blow.”)

Jesse Bullington was angry that night and would not leave the premises. My brother was defending his wife, his home, and his place of business what did he get out of it? The loss of his life. Mr. Bullington had choices to make that night and he chose to hit my brother, causing his death.

Mr. Bullington pleaded guilty to a modified plea of second-degree manslaughter and on Aug. 7. He was sentenced in Judge Michael Downes’ courtroom to a mere 27 months in prison, of which he has already served nearly six months and there may be time off for good behavior, which could mean he could serve as little as one more year in jail. Is this all a person’s life is worth? The state sentencing guidelines are a joke in a lot of cases.

We as a family in mourning are choosing to move forward and try to make a difference. We are working with our senators and representatives to try to get the level raised as it should be to a higher level, right under first-degree manslaughter.

We need to make a difference so others do not have to go through what our family and others before us have had to. A human life has to be worth more than a mere two years in jail.

Dawn Mesa