A former K-State student was sentenced to 155 months in prison for rape.
Jared Gihring, who was in the Riley County District Courthouse with Brenda Jordan as counsel Thursday, was found guilty on May 26 for the 2014 rape of Sara Weckhorst inside a fraternity house.
Weckhorst was in the courtroom and is also the plaintiff in the Title IX suit against KSU. She claims the university did not do its due diligence in addressing Gihring after she informed KSU of the rape. K-State argued off-campus rapes are not in its jurisdiction, though Title IX laws differ from that assessment.
Riley County District Judge Grant Bannister told the full courtroom, with family members and friends present for both Gihring and Weckhorst, a sentencing is never easy.
“I would concur (with earlier statements) this is heartbreaking, from whatever perspective you want to do it,” Judge Grant Bannister said after reading the sentencing.
Jordan asked Bannister if Gihring could be allowed to turn himself in to authorities at a later date, but that request was denied, stating the three months since the jury’s verdict have left ample time for Gihring to get his affairs in order and say farewells to family.
Riley County Deputy Attorney Barry Disney agreed.
“The day of reckoning has come,” Disney told the judge.
Bannister adjourned the court and Gihring was put in handcuffs.
