Monday, July 23rd 2018, 5:37 pm
Monday marks three years to the day since Michael and Robert Bever murdered five members of their Broken Arrow family.
Special Coverage: Bever Family Murders
On Tuesday, Michael Bever will learn his fate as a judge issues his sentence.
A jury found him guilty of five counts of first degree murder and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill in May.
Jurors recommended five life sentences with the possibility of parole, plus 28 years for the intent to kill charge.
5/11/2018 Related Story: Michael Bever Murder Trial: Life With Possibility Of Parole
Since Bever was only 16 when he committed the crimes, the jury could only recommend a life without parole sentence if they believed he was beyond rehabilitation.
“I’ve never, ever, in a now almost 29-year career as a prosecutor, ever had anything quite this extreme,” said Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.
A life sentence in Oklahoma is 45 years and Bever has to serve at least 85 percent of that. This means if the sentences run concurrently, he could be eligible for parole when he’s 54 years old.
Kunzweiler says his goal is to convince the judge to have Bever’s sentences run consecutively.
“Tomorrow, obviously, we’re going to be focused on bringing the best argument we can with Judge Holmes,” stated Kunzweiler.
He says it’s a matter of public safety.
“When do you want him living next to you?” he asked. “That, to me, is the most relevant question. When do you want this guy to be your next door neighbor?”
Bever’s attorney did not respond to our request for an interview.
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