Kevin Sweat Attacks Lawyer With Razor Before Being Sentenced To 3 Life Terms

An Okfuskee County judge sentenced Kevin Sweat to three life terms without parole on Friday. The district attorney said Sweat also attacked his attorney with a razor blade.

Friday, October 24th 2014, 12:07 pm

By: Emory Bryan

Kevin Sweat Attacks Lawyer With Razor Before Being Sentenced To 3 Life Terms

An Okfuskee County judge sentenced Kevin Sweat to three life terms without parole on Friday. He's the man who killed two young girls near Weleetka six years ago. He wasn't arrested until well after he went on to kill his fiancee three years later.

The hearing was disrupted when Sweat attacked his lawyer with the blade from a shaving razor, according to Okfuskee County District Attorney Max Cook. The incident took place when Sweat's lawyers were going to have a meeting, and Sweat wanted to join them and be a part of the meeting, Cook said. Sweat came into the courthouse under heavy guard and in shackles, but is not uncommon for a defendant to be uncuffed before going into the courtroom, the DA said.

The attorney was injured in the attack but not severely. He did not have to be transported to a hospital.

"Inflicted slight injuries around the neck area, there was some blood, the law enforcement officers with him did control him," Cook said.

"They did a complete search of him, redressed his and then we went on with court."

Cook said Sweat was being tended to on the upper floor of the courthouse after announcing the delay. Deputies donned plastic gloves after the incident, and a photographer was taken into the restricted part of the courthouse.

7/31/2014 Related Story: Kevin Sweat Pleads Guilty To Murders Of Weleetka Girls, Fiancee

Sweat pleaded guilty earlier this year to the 2008 murders of two Weleetka girls -- 11-year-old Skyla Whitaker and 13-year-old Taylor Paschal-Placker -- and the murder of his fiancée Ashley Taylor three years later.

With the guilty plea, he gave up his right to a trial - which also eliminated a possibly death sentence

Once the hearing resumed, Sweat handed Judge Lawrence Parish a note claiming he wanted to withdraw his guilty pleas. The note was filed with the court clerk's office.

"I'm withdrawing my plea because the primary reason I entered my plea was to speak to the FBI about possible crimes committed by the OSBI and because of FBI's lack of finding I'm wanting to withdraw. The FBI was the only reason I entered the blind plea cause they didn't want to get involved with my case but now cause they weren't able to discover anything. Plus people indicating their statements were being twisted. If the state is confident in their cases, they got nothing to worry about. Kevin Sweat, 10-24-14"

It didn't take long for the judge to hand down three life sentences, without the possibility of parole. For the family members, it's been a long wait to get to this.

8/1/2014 Related Story: Weleetka Residents: Justice Served By Kevin Sweat Guilty Plea In Three Deaths

"Knowing that she's not there, it's hard every single day. They say it gets easier; it doesn't get any easier," said Patricia Taylor, Ashley's mother.

"Every night before we go to bed, we have pictures on the wall and we blow her kisses and tell her we love her. We just talk about her all the time."

Read Victim Impact Statement

"Today we pretty much figured this was the way it was going to go, and we're glad it went the way it did and we're ready to move on," said Mike Taylor, Ashley's father.

As for Sweat's document claiming he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea, a judge set that for a couple of weeks from now.

Cook said they will also be investigating how Sweat concealed the razor blade. Some say it was just more evidence of Sweat's violent side.

"His reality is starting to come crashing down around him, and he's got to face what the rest of his life is going to be," said Mike Taylor.