Man Laughs While Getting Four Life Sentences for Kidnapping, Raping Ex-Girlfriend on 16th Birthday After Killing Her Mother
A 22-year-old man who laughed as he was sentenced to serve four-consecutive life sentences in prison for kidnapping and raping his then 16-year-old ex-girlfriend on her birthday, shortly after killing her mother in 2012, said he would have felt much better with a death sentence.
"I got what I deserve, I mean, I would rather y'all give me the death sentence," said Kevin McMiller of Jefferson County, Ark., who was found guilty of capital murder, kidnapping and breaking and entering on Thursday, according to KATV.
A report in The Commercial said McMiller broke into the house of his now 17-year-old ex-girlfriend on March 23, 2012, where he stabbed her mother Shirley Owney, 39, to death then kidnapped her and took her to a vacate house where he raped her.
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McMiller's victim told Chief Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Juneau during the penalty phase of the trial that what happened "changed my life completely."
KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports"I miss talking to her… I miss having her around," the teenager said of her mother. She had desperately tried saving her mother's life by holding onto the blade of the knife her ex-boyfriend used to stab her and ended up being severely injured by him.
Of the attack she suffered, she explained, "I think about that just about every day of my life." Even though she has been to counselling, she said, "I still have nightmares."
Donnie Ringo, who is a member of the girl's family, said he was glad the case was over and told the jury that the victim's birthdays "are not the same. She doesn't want to celebrate them anymore. Bad memories of that fatal day bring unwanted memories."
"She underwent two surgeries that left her with approximately 50 percent use of her hand," Ringo said. "While severely injured, she was taken out of her home, assaulted and lost a lot of blood.
"Holidays are not the same," Ringo added. "Thanksgiving and Christmas are hard for her to celebrate … and as she gets older, it will only get tougher."
During the sentencing portion of the trial prosecutors showed a video of McMiller beating up a Jefferson County guard while he was in jail and he laughed while the video was being played.
After he was sentenced, he told Judge Jodi Raines Dennis, "Somebody's gonna kill me when I go to the pen. Probably like two years or less. But I got what I deserve. I mean, she was a good woman. She didn't deserve to die. She really didn't."
