PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) - A judge has sentenced a West Virginia man to 40 years in prison in the slaying of his ex-wife, who was stabbed 86 times.
The Bluefield Daily Telegraph (https://bit.ly/2oy4ZN6 ) reports attorney Ryan Flanigan, an attorney for William J. Seal, had asked for a new trial. He argued that Seal acted in self-defense against his recently remarried ex-wife, Ashley Seal, who was visiting his apartment in June 2015.
Mercer County Circuit Court judge William Sadler denied that request and refused the plea of leniency, highlighting the “sheer brutality” of the case.
Sadler says the 34-year-old Seal, who has a small prior criminal record, could be eligible for parole in under a decade and could finish his sentence in 20 years, with good behavior.
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Information from: Bluefield Daily Telegraph, https://www.bdtonline.com
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