Wash. man who fatally shot uncle gets 16 years
LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A 49-year-old Longview, Wash., man who fatally shot his uncle in 2012 in a crime that prosecutors linked to the “Mayan prophecy” that the world would end has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison.
The Daily News reports that Scott Wesley Humphreys wept during his sentencing hearing Thursday, telling the judge he acted in self-defense. On Feb. 4, Humphreys pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the midst of his trial.
Court records show 62-year-old David “Lonny” Peterson was fatally shot on the night of Dec. 21, 2012. Prosecutors said Humphreys was drunk, angry and obsessed with the predicted end of the world when he shot his uncle.
On Thursday, Humphreys said claims that the apocalypse prophecy influenced him were ludicrous.
Relatives of both men pleaded for leniency.
