After hearing a guilty verdict for Chad Sanders in the murder of Timothy Butler, Circuit Judge David Strong sentenced the 43-year-old Ruth man to life in prison on Friday.
The judge also sentenced Sanders to five years in prison on a weapon possession charge, which will run concurrently to the murder sentence.
He fined Sanders $7,000 for court costs, another $7,000 for the charges he was found guilty of, and $6,500 in restitution for Butler’s funeral expenses.
Sanders was found not guilty of a charge of armed robbery.
Given the opportunity to make a statement after the verdict was read, Sanders proclaimed his innocence.
“I would like to tell the family I’m sorry, but I did not do this,” Sanders said. “Kevin Brown killed Timothy Butler. I did not. You have the wrong guy. I did not do this. I am being framed, I didn’t do this.
“Your Honor, these men came to my home, stole my possessions and for what? What reason would I have to kill Birdman? I didn’t do this, I did not kill Timothy ‘Birdman’ Butler, I didn’t. You’ve found me guilty off of lies. They’re lies, your Honor, how can I be prosecuted off of lies?”
Butler’s family sat with shocked expressions until Strong cut off Sanders’s protestations of innocence.
The judge then issued his sentences and remanded Sanders to the custody of the sheriff’s department.
As he was led out of the courtroom, Sanders mumbled, “What the (expletive), man, what the (expletive)?” repeatedly. He had mumbled less audibly with his face in his hands after the announcement of the verdicts.
Sanders’s sister Jacquel Cockerham broke down as Sanders left. Butler’s family watched in silence.
Looking across the room, Cockerham said aloud to Butler’s family “We all lost, we all lost.”
After Sanders’ family exited, smiles and hugs were shared among Butler’s family, assistant district attorneys Rodney Tidwell and Robert Byrd and Det. Lance Falvey.
“You did good, you did good,” one family member told Byrd and Tidwell. “Thank you man, it’s been a long two years.”
The Pike County jury deliberated about six hours before rendering their decisions.
