Rutledge’s mother, Barbara Shear, could not hold back tears prior to the sentencing hearing Thursday morning. She passed out buttons featuring a photo of her son in his Army uniform.
“This devastated me, his father, his family,” Shear said. “I am angry but most of all I am broken-hearted.”
Postell was indicted on one count of murder, five counts of felonious assault and a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. However, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Postell agreed to plead guilty to one count each of involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault. The agreement included a mandatory 15 year combined sentence because Postell has been previously convicted of felonious assault. As part of his sentence, Postell will also have to pay $6,165.30 in restitution to Rutledge’s family, and will be on parole for five years following his release from prison.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Dennis Langer read a half dozen letters from Rutledge’s family and friends aloud to Postell, outlining the victim’s good deeds. The judge called Rutledge, an Iraq War veteran, a model citizen whose death has caused “terrible suffering.”
“What you’ve done is create an awful void in the lives of many people, particularly in the lives of his five children who now no longer have a father,” Langer said.
Postell made no statements prior to sentencing, only blowing a kiss to his family as he was led out of the courtroom. His attorney, Jon Paul Rion, said the sentence was fair, given his client was facing the possibility of life in prison prior to the plea agreement.
“There were many people in that room that had guns and people shot at Mr. Postell as well,” Rion said. “So I think someone was going to be shot that day, it was just a question of who.”
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