November 17, 2010 in City

Man gets 62 years for two murders

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A Spokane man has been sentenced to serve more than 62 years in prison after he was convicted earlier this fall of killing two people in 2009.

Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen on Friday sentenced 28-year-old Merle W. Harvey to 753 months in prison after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder in connection with the Sept. 26, 2009, killing of Jack T. Lamere. The jury also convicted Harvey of second-degree murder for killing 45-year-old Jacob J. Potter, who was with Lamere on the day of the shooting. Harvey killed Lamere after a running dispute over a car swap.

The jury found Harvey used a gun in the commission of the killings, which added a decade to the murder sentences.

Three comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  hawken on November 17 at 11:36 a.m.

  So,,,, let’s do the math.

  The convicted murderer is now 28 yrs old. Let’s assume that he lives to be 80, in prison. That equals 52 years, supported by the tax payer. If you don’t like 80 use your own number.

  52 x $43,000 per year = $2,236,000.00

  Meanwhile, it was just reported that a state execution costs less than $80,000.00

  Meanwhile again,,,, we now have Obama care that will ration health care for the elderly…. aka “death panels”…..

  as per the liberal left NY Times, Nobel Prize winner.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fZTntL13ZY

• 

  Racingmom on November 17 at 4:32 p.m.

  I don’t believe you have accurate figures. I think the $80,000.00 was JUST for the execution - not for the housing, cost of investigation, trial, cost of appeal, cost of second appeal, etc… Believe it or not, studies show that death row and executions are more costly than life sentences….

• 

  hawken on November 17 at 6:09 p.m.

  Racingmom… your write….

  I think the $80,000.00 was JUST for the execution - not for the housing, cost of investigation, trial, cost of appeal, cost of second appeal, etc… Believe it or not, studies show that death row and executions are more costly than life sentences….

  You missed the point…. Please read again my post.

  All criminals cost us…. “housing, cost of investigation, trial, cost of appeal, cost of second appeal, etc…”

  My example underlines the savings to tax payers by NOT housing the murderer for his whole life….

  You also say….

  Believe it or not, studies show that death row and executions are more costly than life sentences….

  I don’t believe it! See again my specific numbers.

  What studies? Cite them.