Chase Ainsworth, an Oklahoma man, has been sentenced to life without parole for the first-degree murder of his ex-wife Samantha Ainsworth, along with charges of child stealing and interfering with an emergency call. A Cleveland County judge stated that the life sentence, "it’s fitting for the horror he’s caused," according to KFOR.
Brandon Pasley of the YWCA addressed the ongoing issue of domestic violence in Oklahoma, stating, "Oklahoma has ranked 15 out of the last 25 years in women killed by men," and expressed concern that the situation isn't improving. Samantha Ainsworth had previously sought protection through a Victim Protective Order, which court documents show was repeatedly violated, including attempts to break in and alarming messages, as detailed in a KFOR report.
Ainsworth will serve multiple concurrent sentences, including 10 years for kidnapping his 5-year-old son and one year for preventing his 8-year-old daughter from calling 911, according to News 9. He avoided the death penalty by withdrawing his not-guilty plea and pleading guilty, a decision made after consulting with the victim's family to spare the minors from testifying at trial.
District Attorney Greg Mashburn said in a statement obtained by KOCO, "It is rare to permit a defendant to plead guilty once the decision has been made to pursue the death penalty. However, after consulting with the family and carefully considering all options, we decided to resolve the case without going to trial. This approach guarantees that the children will not have to testify in court, and it provides certainty regarding the defendant's sentence. He will spend the rest of his life in prison and will die there. Just not as soon as he probably should."
