Monday, January 7, 2008

Pratt gets four and a half to 15 years

Christopher Luke Pratt, convicted last month of unlawful imprisonment, interfering with a telephone communication, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence was sentenced by Calhoun County Circuit Judge Stephen B. Miller this afternoon to serve four and a half to 15 years in prison.
Pratt tearfully apologized for calling the victim, his last, live-in girlfriend Norrene Parker names, and proclaimed that he still loves her and her children.
The sentencing occurred just before 5 p.m. after lengthy arguments from defense attorney J. Thomas Schaeffer of Marshall over the offense variable scoring for Pratt's potential sentencing guideline formula.
Schaeffer unsuccessfully tried to get his client a new trial in an early morning motion hearing arguing that prior acts should not have been allowed during the trial when Miller denied his motion.
The matter, said Miller, is a question for the Court of Appeals. See this Saturday's Chronicle for more on what Pratt and the victim had to say.
Pratt has been named a person of interest in the disappearance of his previous live-in girlfriend, Mary Denise Marshall Lands who remains missing after nearly four years.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If he murdered Mary Lands hopefully the evidence will come out soon that that case can be closed and he can get a just sentence for his crimes. Personally I am 99.9 % certain he killed Mary Lands or played some major role in the likely murder.

Anonymous said...

First and foremost I commend this website to allow others not local to stay updated on this issue. Second, anything less than proof (your 99.99% hunch) is nothing more than hearsay and hearsay alone. I certainly would like to have this case resolved by the finding of Ms. Lands and knowing all that truly happenned, but do remember that hunches DO NOT COUNT in a matter of this severity.