A Portland man was handed down three life sentences for the slayings of his three neighbors during a meth-fueled killing spree.
In October, a jury found Brett Pruett, 62, guilty of 11 counts of first-degree murder, four counts of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of burglary, and one count of assault, in connection with the July 2020 deaths of Elmer Edwin Hughes III, Tashia Heather Cobb, and Lawrence Wayne Murphy, in their Portland, Oregon, neighborhood, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney.
On Monday, Pruett was punished with three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, KATU-TV, KGW-TV, and KOIN-TV reported, citing the district attorney.
"We are pleased that this sentence brings justice to the families of Mr. Hughes III, Ms. Cobb and Mr. Murphy. While their loved ones can never be brought back, the families can have some peace knowing that the person who took their lives will be behind bars for the rest of his life. Our hope is that the families can now move forward," the DA said in a statement.
Prosecutors argued Pruett was driven to fatally shoot the victims under the delusion the trio owed him rent money, in the midst of a meth binge, during which he was awake for 72 hours straight, according to KGW.
Pruett will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve out his life sentences.
