 The sentencing hearing for the case of the Commonwealth versus Floyd Sexton was held this afternoon at the Floyd County Justice Center in downtown Prestonsburg. Mountaintop News was in the courtroom as the judge handed his sentence down to the defendant. Following the hearing, we caught up with Commonwealth Attorney Brent Turner for more information on this trial, which has been seven years in the making. The sentencing today, of course, follows the trial that went on for about two weeks. There were witnesses called from Texas and Arizona and Virginia in the case because the accused, Mr. Sexton, after the murder occurred, he was on the run for several months and went as far west as Arizona before being captured in Texas. It was a long time getting this case to trial, obviously seven years. There were some delays partly because of COVID as well, but we finally got it there and got it finished and the family was very relieved with the verdict. As will we, we believe they hadn't showed he was guilty. He testified the jury did not believe what he was saying, found him guilty. And we also believe that the life sentence recommendation is appropriate. The allegation here was that he lured the victim to a vacant building just outside of Prestonsburg on a crowded highway in the middle of the day, that when the victim saw him and ran, that he shot him in the back as he ran away. And I think the jury's assessment, as was ours, is that anybody that would do that to someone that they were just upset with and chewed them in such a cowardly way in a crowded area of town where everybody could see is dangerous. And I think that's why they gave him the life sentence and we're grateful for the judge today for going along with that and following that sentence and imposing the life sentence on Mr. Sexton. Here at Pikeville Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute, we have assembled a comprehensive team of cardiac specialists bringing expertise from all regions of the nation and the world. We have coupled that with cutting edge technology, providing them the best equipment and operating rooms available. The result is comprehensive cardiac care for the people of our region that is second to none. The Heart and Vascular Institute at Pikeville Medical Center. Turner mentions that while there is always an automatic appeal sent before the Kentucky State Supreme Court in cases such as this, he is confident that the guilty verdict will be upheld. These kinds of cases, there's an automatic appeal to the Supreme Court of Kentucky and then there are also some preliminary appeals and things that his attorney will be filing. I'm sure before it gets there, so we will litigate that as it comes. We believe that the verdict will be upheld ultimately and we'll be ready for whatever they file. For Mountain Top News, I'm Joshua Slung.