HUTCHINSON, Kan. — 52-year-old Billy J. Craig Jr., who entered a “no contest” plea and was found guilty of “conspiracy to commit first-degree murder” was sentenced Friday to the maximum he could be sentenced to by District Judge Tim Chambers. Judge Tim Chambers sentenced him to 184-months, or just over 15-years in prison
The judge denied the downward departure sought by the defense calling the sentence “totally appropriate.” This after emotional pleas from the family of Jennifer Heckel who they say wasn’t murdered, but executed. And that it was the planning by Craig that led to her death. The conviction is connected to the murder of Heckel on June 14, 2011.
Craig was found guilty of conspiring with Charles Christopher Logsdon to rob and kill another woman over drugs and money and went to the wrong house when they killed Heckel while her 10-year-old son was in the next room.
In return for Craig’s plea, the state agreed to dismiss all other charges pending in the murder case, dismiss two pending cases against him, one involving distribution of drugs and the other, a financial fraud crime. They also recommended that a pending contempt of court allegation be dismissed.
Logsdon was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and other related charges and received a 73-year sentence. His case is currently on appeal.
We’ll have more on the sentencing later this evening.