Farley gets max for facilitation of murder
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Farley, 32, was issued the maximum sentence of 37 years in prison for her convictions on charges of facilitation of murder and robbery. The sentences were run consecutively as she received 25 years for facilitation of murder and 12 years on the robbery conviction. She will be required to serve at least 30 percent of her sentence before her first chance of parole.
Farley’s sentence comes following her conviction this June for the May 2000 robbery and murder of Johnson, 63, who was beaten to death outside his home. Farley, who was an acquaintance of the victim, maintained her boyfriend, Eric Sullivan, 37, attacked Johnson with a tire tool, inflicting the fatal wounds. Sullivan’s trial will begin today provided a jury can be selected.
In rendering the maximum sentence against Farley, Judge James Weatherford pointed out the defendant had a long history of criminal behavior which began when she was just 12 years old.
During the sentencing hearing, probation officer Donna Dunlap revealed Farley began using drugs and alcohol when she was 12. Dunlap also pointed out Farley’s criminal behavior began as a juvenile and peaked when she was only 19.
At that time she was sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping. Farley ended up serving her entire sentence because her parole on the kidnapping charge was violated three times. In all, Dunlap said Farley has spent most of her adult life behind bars.
“She’s engaged in criminal activity since she was 12 years old,” Weatherford said in passing sentence. “The only time she hasn’t been involved in criminal behavior is when she has been in prison.”
Weatherford’s decision came in light of a letter written to the court by Johnson’s sister and niece, asking for the maximum penalty.
“Farley is a coward who lured Louie out of his home,” Dunlap read from the letter. “She cannot be allowed to walk the streets ever again.”
District Attorney General Dale Potter noted Farley has long blamed the men in her life for her crimes, beginning with the aggravated kidnapping charges in 1990 involving she and her ex-husband, and then again with the blaming of Sullivan for Johnson’s murder.
Potter resisted the claim of defense attorney Bob Peters that the jury believed his client’s story as evidenced by her conviction on a charge lesser than first-degree murder. Peters maintained his client was under duress because she was afraid of Sullivan. However, Potter said the jury would have acquitted Farley had they believed she was intimidated into assisting in the crime.
Farley will become eligible for parole after serving just over 11 years in prison. Since she will be credited for the three years she has already served, her first parole eligibility date will be in 2011 when she is 40.