SPOKANE, Wash. --- Kevin Boot was convicted more than 20 years ago for killing Felicia Reese in cold blood in 1994. He was originally sentenced to life without parole for his crime, but a Supreme Court ruling in 2012 determined a juvenile cannot be sentenced to life without parole.
Now, Boot has been re-sentenced to 50 years, with credit for time served. His original sentencing was in 1996, which means he will likely be in prison for another 27 years.
Friday, Judge Raymond Clary said Boot’s murder of Reese was pre-calculated, cold blooded, and done as part of a crime spree. The judge said Boot was just 15 days away from turning 18 at the time of the murder, so he was closer to being an adult than a juvenile.
“Boot was sentenced at the age of 19 and continued to be a part of a gang while in prison for about five years,” Clary said. Now, Clary said, Boot leads groups that focus on helping other inmates in prison.
The judge said Boot, at the time of the murder, chose to plan a car-jacking, kidnapping, robbery and then murder as a cover up.
“We don't know if he can be outside of a prison without hurting someone or when he would be safe to society,” Clary said. "Mr. Boot committed one of the most serious crimes Spokane has ever seen."
The crime was said to be committed to elevate Boot's standing in a gang and was committed as part of a crime spree.
Reese was kidnapped in a hotel parking lot at a religious conference. She was supposed to get married just months after her murder. She never got to wear her dress, so her family buried her in it.
Clary said because of the law, he felt like he could not re-sentence Boot to life without the possibility of parole.
A friend of Reese's mother said going through this again has been a nightmare.
"It was absolutely horrible to go through all the testimony and listen to what they did to her and sit with her mother and go through it all again, " the friend, who asked not to be identified, said.
Those who knew and loved Reese were emotional as the sentence was handed down. Reese's mother said she still talks about her mother every day, and is happy Boot will stay in jail.
"Justice has been served and I'm very happy with the results," she said Friday.
Boot will be nearly 70 old when he gets out of jail.