KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Laura Reynolds died Halloween night in 2009. She was in the car with two friends when a 19 year-old drunk driver going the wrong way slammed into them head-on.
Now Reynolds’ family says the man who killed her got off too easily.
“The bottom of your mind you’re thinking, well there will be justice for this,” said Jake Reynolds, Laura Reynolds’s brother.
Kenneth Scott Blake, II, then 19 years-old pleaded guilty, and Reynolds believes the judge gave him a sentence that didn’t match the crime.
“The judge could have given him zero to 15 years for manslaughter for killing my sister and he chose zero. He chose a 12 year sentence and then suspended it, which means that there’s no time served,” Reynolds said.
Blake was sentenced to six years each for two felony counts of 2nd degree assault, based on injuries suffered by the other two girls in the car. They are being served concurrently.
The judge in the case declined to comment, but one court spokesperson said its not unusual for a young defendant in their first brush with the law to get less than the maximum sentence.
Sandra Triebel, was also charged in connection with Reynolds’ death. She served alcohol to Blake and other minors at a party.
“They give her two years probation for her whole involvement in this, for giving the drinks out that and intoxicating the man who killed my sister,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said he’s tried talking to a state representative about changing the law to make punishments stiffer, and he says he got nowhere.
‘Having just on multiple fronts the law just kind of fail you has been just re-injury,” He explained.
In May, Laura’s family is holding a free 5K to remember her and spread awareness about drunk driving dangers. FOX 4 tried contacting Blake’s two defense attorneys listed on court documents, and never heard back.
To see an open letter from the Reynolds family, click here.
