RADCLIFF, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky judge has agreed with a jury’s recommended sentence for a West Virginia man convicted in the deaths of two teenagers during a car chase.
Shawn Welsh, 37, of Fairmont, West Virginia, received four concurrent life sentences Tuesday, The News-Enterprise reported. Welsh is eligible for parole after serving 20 years.
A Hardin County jury convicted Welsh of two counts of murder and two counts of assault on Oct. 28. They recommended he serve a life sentence and the judge agreed.
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“A life sentence is necessary for the protection of society,” Judge Ken Howard said.
State police said Welsh was driving a stolen truck and leading police on a 21-mile (33-kilometer), 18-minute chase when he crashed into a car, killing 18-year-old Jacob Barber and 17-year-old Katarina Peeters on Oct. 20, 2018.
Welsh’s attorney Erin Hartman said her client was high during the pursuit and was “extremely remorseful.”
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This story corrects Welsh’s hometown to Fairmont, not Marion.
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