LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A 21-year-old Lawrence woman convicted of killing her roommate has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Sarah Gonzales McLinn was found guilty in March of the premeditated, first-degree murder of 52-year-old pizza shop owner Harold “Hal” Sasko in January 2014. Sasko was McLinn’s roommate and former employer. Authorities said he was nearly decapitated.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports (http://bit.ly/1XrkiAe ) Douglas County District Court judge Paula Martin on Friday gave McLinn the 50-year prison sentence recommended by the jury. Under the sentence, McLinn would be first eligible for parole after serving 50 years.
During her trial, McLinn’s attorneys acknowledged McLinn killed Sasko, but they sought acquittal by claiming she had mental disease or defect at the time of the slaying. Defense witnesses also testified that McLinn had multiple personalities.
This story corrects McLinn’s age to 21.
