Spokane7
50°
August 27, 2010 in City
Jury supports longer sentence for child killer
A jury today re-affirmed a previous jury’s decision to sentence child killer Robert Doney to more time in prison than outlined in the standard sentencing guidelines.
The jury today unanimously found that Doney showed deliberate cruelty to someone who was vulnerable when he crushed the skull and killed a 2-year-old Spokane girl in 2003.
Doney, 35, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder just days into his 2005 trial. He admitted killing 2-year-old Victoria Ramon the day after Christmas 2003 inside an apartment at 1412 W. Dean Ave. Doney killed the girl as her mother banged on the locked door, pleading for her life.
Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque on Oct. 12, 2005, sentenced Doney to 35 years in prison, seven years more than the standard range for first-degree murder. Doney appealed, and the Washington Supreme Court ruled that a new jury should decide whether Doney exhibited deliberate cruelty to a particularly vulnerable victim, which would justify the longer prison term.
Now that the jury has decided, Leveque will sentence Doney at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 23. With the aggravating factor, Leveque has the discretion to sentence Doney to more than the maximum of 28 years under normal guidelines.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
oneanddone on August 27 at 5:01 p.m.
It would be better to just drop him into N Korean airspace but I suppose the death penalty would work too.
JBlim on August 27 at 5:17 p.m.
I’m not familiar with this case but there must be something wrong with this guy. Killing someone for money or revenge is one thing, but a little girl, that’s just nuts. What was the motive?
misjustice on August 27 at 6:56 p.m.
JBlim; from what I have gleaned from reporting on this story, I think that he killed the little girl to get back at the mother, to break her heart,to crush her soul [as nothing like the death of a child can do]. There was alleged drug abuse, also. And goodness, who really knows what darkness lurks in the minds and hearts of some people?
lewis8457 on August 27 at 8:31 p.m.
He should be sent to a pine box 12 feet under. i remember the case, this scum bag used a human life to get back at his girl friend how has it taken 7 years to get him to court. And more importantly how did this scum bag make it 7 years without someone taking him out?
who but a wild animal can kill a child for spite. We just put down starving momma grizzle bear that killed a human how is it scum like this arent just put down the same?
misjustice on August 28 at 8:55 a.m.
Lewis, you make a valid point regarding how long it took to bring this cretin to justice; 7 years, that’s 5 years more than the child was old!