A man who was charged with kidnapping and killing his ex-girlfriend and shooting her son and nephew last year stood before the court on Thursday morning, facing the slain woman’s family.
“Initially, [I] wanted to say [I’m] sorry, but sorry wasn’t a strong enough word,” defendant Paul Buchannon said, according to his attorney Ed Dettmar.
On Thursday, Buchannon, 39, pleaded guilty to malice murder and several other felony charges in Gordon County Superior Court. Judge David Smith then sentenced Buchannon to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also was sentenced to 91 years in prison in addition to the life sentence.
Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Joe Campbell said he’s thankful McKnight’s family didn’t have to go through a trial. But he refused to offer a lesser plea bargain for Buchannon because of the nature of his “egregious” crimes.
“I wanted each victim respected and recognized by a separate type of sentence,” he said.