November 03, 2017 - 9:10 AM
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. - A Kentucky man convicted in the stabbing deaths of his two sisters has been sentenced.
The Kentucky New Era reports Judge John Atkins sentenced 66-year-old Robert Jerry Rogers on Thursday to 20 years on both murder counts, to be served concurrently.
Atkins ruled Rogers was not insane when he killed Joanne Rogers and Francis Carolyn Coleman in August 2016, but acknowledged his mental illness. Rogers was found guilty but mentally ill on Tuesday.
Family members and Rogers' defence team had requested leniency because of Rogers' mental illness.
Commonwealth's Attorney Lynn Pryor had asked for a harsher sentence, pointing out that the case would have been eligible for the death penalty.
Rogers attorney Clay Beineke says he's disappointed with Tuesday's ruling but satisfied with the sentence as it's the minimum.
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Information from: Kentucky New Era, http://www.kentuckynewera.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2017