U.S. v. Clay

Dist. Ct. did not err in sentencing defendant to life imprisonment on kidnapping, attempted murder and use of fire to commit another felony charges arising out of incident where defendant abducted female victim, raped her, set her on fire and left her to die. While defendant argued that Dist. Ct. based sentence solely on aggravating factors and ignored his acceptance of responsibility, Dist. Ct. appropriately discounted defendant’s acceptance of responsibility by noting pattern of defendant minimizing his role in his crimes and exaggerating symptoms of mental illness. Also, instant life sentence was within applicable sentencing guidelines, and defendant failed to show that he deserved second chance, where he was on probation at time he committed instant offenses, and where he had long history of violence against women. Moreover, Dist. Ct. adequately explained various section 3553(a) factors, including defendant’s penchant for targeting women and his use of violence and manipulation in and out of prison.