70-year old Don Hall (pictured) was killed in a car crash in April. 43-year old Ray Watkins was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the crash. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Watkins refused several sobriety tests at the scene of the crash. It was an early morning crash. Hall was on his way to work at KEYN.
A probable cause affidavit revealed Watkins’ blood-alcohol level was .243, which is three times the legal limit of .08. A trial in September lasted two days before he was found guilty.
I am not an attorney, and I do not know the specifics of Kansas criminal law. But, a 13-year prison sentence, based on a charge of “involuntary manslaughter”, seems woefully and tragically little to me.
The killer’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal level. That, in any and all states, is a felony. So, in my view, with a felony blood alcohol level that high, the charge should have been second-degree murder, resulting in many more years in prison.
I would guess, as in most states, this killer could end up serving a sentence far shorter than 13 years, with time credited for “good behavior”. That would be disgustingly ridiculous and makes a mockery of what is supposed to be a civil society.