Independence Examiner, Saturday 06/29/02, Page 1

Case gets life in prison

By Darla McFarland

The Examiner

Byron Case, 23, was formally sentenced Friday to life in prison without possibility of parole for the shooting death of 18-year-old Anastasia WitbolsFeugen of Independence.

A jury found Case guilty of first-degree murder back in May.

Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. A first-degree conviction carries an automatic sentence of life without parole, if execution is not sought.

During the trial, a witness testified that Case shot WitbolsFeugen over her tumultuous relationship with Justin Bruton, Case's best friend and sometimes roommate.

Bruton killed himself in October 1997 on the same day WitbolsFeugen's body was found in Lincoln Cemetery, just west of Independence off Truman Road.

To reach Darla McFarland, send e-mail to darlam@examiner.net.