Saturday, October 23, 2010

Winfield, WV: Man to spend 45-65 years in prison for ex-girlfriend's death

by Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail staff

WINFIELD -- A Putnam County man will spend 45-65 years in prison for killing an ex-girlfriend and shooting another man, but the victim's sister said it's not enough.

Jesse Cossin, 21, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and malicious wounding in connection with Angela Dawn Casto, 20, and her boyfriend Nick Hanshaw, 24.

Putnam Circuit Judge Phillip Stowers sentenced Cossin to the maximum. His 40-year sentence, three to 15-year sentence and two to 10 year sentence will be served consecutively. He will receive credit for the 608 days he has been incarcerated since the February 2009 incident in Red House.

After the hearing Thursday, Crystal Casto said she still wasn't happy.

"It's not the outcome I wanted," she said, holding a picture of her slain sister. "He took her life. I want his life.

"He was her friend," she said of Cossin. "He was supposed to be our friend."

Casto addressed comments to Cossin during the court hearing on behalf of her family and said, "I would really like to know what was going through your head that night, Jesse.

"You did not deserve a friend like Angela," she said. "Whatever your sentence is, it will not be fair. You took Angela from us and we'll never have nothing but memories."

No comments: