March 9, 1995
Bree Shaffar
2:53 am
Parents: Jerri Boyd and Travis Shaffar
Local News
Doubled Sentence in Brutal Killing
WICHITA, Kan. — Outraged by the level of violence in the brutal killing of a gay man by his roommate, Sedgwick County (Kan.) District Judge Richard Ballinger sentenced Aaron Beers, 45, to 29 years and eight months in prison — twice the recommended penalty under state guidelines for a second-degree murder conviction.
Beers had been charged with first-degree murder, but a jury convicted earlier this year of intentional second-degree murder in the March 9 beating death of Kevin Shea, 28.
Prosecutors presented evidence during the trial indicating that Beers had stomped and kicked Shea for more than a half hour, drinking beer and talking on the phone during the brutal killing.
Judge Ballinger said clinical evidence presented during the trial convinced him to hand down the double sentence. Coroner's reports indicated that all of Shea's ribs had been broken and that several of his internal organs - including Shea's heart - had been ripped from the severity of the attack.
March 9 World News
March 9, 1832: "Abraham Lincoln of New Salem, IL announced that he would run for political office for the first time 1929 - Eric Krenz of Palo Alto, CA became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet."
March 9, 1864: Ulysses S Grant is appointed commander of Union Army
March 9, 1916: Germany declares war against Portugal
March 9, 1959: "Barbie, the popular girls' doll, debuted, over 800 million sold"
March 9, 1964 The first of many Ford Mustangs is produced
What Happened in March, 1995
March 9:Mexican peso worth 7.55 pesos to a dollar (record)
March 22: longest human space adventure ends. Man stays in Mir Space Station for 437 days.
March 20: poison gas wreaks havoc in Tokyo subways