David Sparks sentencing 12.17.20

David Sparks has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of Savannah Spurlock

Day for david sparks.

He was given fifty years for killing a young richmond mother of four in what began as a high-profile missing person's case nearly two years ago.

As abc 36's alex king reports the sentencing did little to ease the pain for spurlock's family.

22-year-old savannah spurlock was last seen on the night of january 4th 20-19... her first night out a month after giving birth to twins.

David sparks was one of the men she was seen leaving a lexington bar with.

After missing for about six months... in july of 20-19... her body was foiund wrapped in a rug buried in a shallow grave on sparks' family property.

Spurlock's aunt lisa thoma thinks sparks got off easy...and not just with his sentence.

Lisa: "he's had a cushy deal this whole time.

We've had to be very quiet.

To not say something that can be thrown out in court and he has all this protection.

He got to be anonymous when she went missing and she was slandered all on her social media pages and her memory was tarnished."

David sparks avoided trial by pleading guilty two weeks ago.

Lisa: "i don't know what made him plead guilty.

I do not imagine it was remorse because behind those eyes today, i did not see that.

I saw that same arrogant face that put us through terrible torture."

A judge followed the prosecutor's recommended sentence.

Judge daugherty: "recommedation from the commonwealth is 50 years on the murder, five years on the tampering, twelve months on the abuse of the corpse.

All concurring for a total of fifty years and i will accept that recconendation and close that sentence."

Sparks will be eligible for parole in 20 years.

Had he gone to trial and been convicted...the maximum sentence would have been life without parole.

The haunting question...why did sparks do it?

We still don't know...publicly no motive has ever been released.

While most of spurlock's family watched the sentencing from the prosecutor's office...they say her father watched from her gravesite.

Meantime, lisa thoma has a warning for other young people.

Lisa: "that person you're talking to on the internet, that smooth talker you just met somewhere.

You just don't know what evil is lurking out there.

Please hold your trust as a treasure" alex king, abc 36 news.

A lexington veteran's case