In a bizarre twist of justice, a Kansas man sentenced for killing an elderly woman pleaded with the judge to increase his jail time because his punishment was too lenient, KCTV reported.
Wyandotte County prosecutors offered Joshua Brazeal a plea deal to spend 41 months in prison for the death of 79-year-old Geraldine Strader, who was killed after the stolen car Brazeal was driving crashed into her car in August 2014.
At an emotional sentencing last Friday, members of the defendant and victim's family consoled each other as a judge agreed to increase Brazeal's sentence to 78 months, or six and a half years.
Strader, a retired librarian beloved by the Kansas City community, was thrown from her vehicle after Brazeal slammed into her car while speeding away from police, KCTV reported. Others at the scene tried detaining Brazeal, who was out on probation at the time, but he escaped.
Prosecutors said they offered Brazeal a deal to spare the victim's family the stress of a trial. But Strader's family, along with Brazeal and his family, argued it was not a sufficient punishment for his crime.
"How in the world can a criminal with this kind of an impressive criminal record, how in the world can even he recognize there is nothing fair about this," Kathleen Brandt, the victim's daughter, told the station.
Brazeal is also set to serve time for a parole violation. But while the victim's family feels his altered sentence still isn't enough, they hope he will come out a changed man.
"My mother would say put him away until he learns," Brandt added. "I'm hoping those six and half years are long enough for him to learn."
