By Tommy Witherspoon Tribune-Herald staff writer
Friday, October 30, 2009
A former restaurant manager from Louisiana was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Thursday in the June stabbing death of his ex-wife, an Army sergeant at Fort Hood.
Donovan Darcell Lair, 36, faced up to life in federal prison after he pleaded guilty last month in Waco’s federal court to killing Shameka Nicole Jones, the mother of his child and two other children, 11 days after their divorce.
U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. also fined Lair $5,000.
“It was an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to Ms. Jones’ death that night,” said Lair’s attorney, Brian Howell. “I feel sorry for the Lair family and the Jones family as they work through her death. Mr. Lair has taken full responsibility for his actions that night.”
Before sentencing, Lair apologized to the Jones family, to the court and to law enforcement.
According to federal court records, Lair went to Jones’ house at Fort Hood in the early-morning hours of June 22. They argued, and Lair picked up a knife from a bedroom table and stabbed Jones once in the chest, records show.
Lair called for help about 10 to 20 minutes after he stabbed Jones, and military police and medical personnel found her alive but bleeding profusely in the bedroom, according to court records. She died later at Darnell Army Medical Center.
twitherspoon@wacotrib.com
757-5737
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