A 39-year-old man was slapped with the maximum sentence possible for a horrifying series of crimes, including kidnapping, rape, and burglary. Keith Kenard Asberry Jr. will now face 75 years to life behind bars after being sentenced by Honorable Judge Thomas Reardon in Alameda County Superior Court, according to a report by Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price.
Asberry's crimes date back to 2008, when he forcibly kidnapped a teenage girl near Berkeley High School. Prosecutors argued that he used a gun to not only assault her on a desolate road but also to rob her at an ATM. The case against Asberry didn’t end there. Seven years later, he was again found to have entered a woman's home and attempted to assault her after she returned from shopping. The evidence was strong enough to eventually convince a jury of his guilt on multiple charges, including the use of a firearm during the commission of these grave offenses.
During Asberry's trial, the jury heard and accepted the disturbing details of his actions. According to the Alameda County DA's office, they found him guilty on several felony counts. These included "kidnapping to commit sex crime with true findings of an allegation of use of a firearm, kidnapping to commit robbery with true findings of an allegation of use of a firearm, forcible penetration with findings of allegations of use of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, and tying and binding, forcible oral copulation with true findings of allegations of use of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, and tying and binding, forcible rape with true findings of allegations of use of a firearm and aggravated kidnapping." Additionally, Asberry was also convicted of first-degree burglary with a person present and misdemeanor assault.
DA Pamela Price made no bones about her office's stance on the severity of Asberry's crimes. "Today’s sentencing is a testament to our commitment to seeking justice for victims of sexual violence," she stated via the Alameda County DA's office. She then proceeded to express her disdain for Asberry's "vile" actions and lauded the sentence for reflecting the crime's impact on the victims. Price credited the effective work of the prosecutorial team, the assigned inspector, and the victim-witness advocates for providing essential services and support throughout the case. Asbery's fate was sealed by Judge Reardon, who did not hesitate to impose the harshest penalty allowed by law—75 years to life plus an additional 36 years.
