A man charged in the death of an 85-year-old woman north of Huntsville will spend at least 15 years behind bars. Eighty-five year old Dolores White was found badly injured in her home in Kearney in April and later died on her way to hospital. Police charged two 23 year old men in connection with her death. Declan Letters, 23, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Parry Sound in July. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful entry to a dwelling, dangerous possession of a weapon and uttering a threat to cause death. On Friday, Judge E.J. Koke decided in a Parry Sound courtroom that Letters will not be eligable for parole for at least 15 years. “This killing was senseless marked by extreme brutality,” Judge Koke said in court. “This was violent in the extreme with no apparent motive.” The court heard Letters had consumed half a bottle of vodka and was high on acid when he entered White’s home looking for money. He had a knife on him to pick the lock but the door was open. After entering, he encountered White on the ground floor and stabbed her several times. White was able to phone her daughter for help but she died of her injuries in the ambulance on the way to the Huntsville hospital. Judge Koke wrapped up by encouraging Letters to turn himself around during his 15 years in prison, saying the prison system won’t change him but he can change himself. Emotional and upset with the sentence, Dolores White’s daughter said “He trapped her, he terrorized her and then executed her and for that he got a pep talk.” Letters was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs and will spend the next 15 years behind bars, eligible for parole in 2029. The other man charged, Brock Gould, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in August. He was sentenced to six months in jail and will be on probation for two years once he is released.
