The judge who sentenced a former Bloomington High School teacher to eight years in prison for killing her husband declined Tuesday to reduce that sentence.
Sarah Mellor, 31, was sentenced to eight years in prison in July after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her husband, Mark. She killed him with a hunting knife during an altercation at a private campsite outside Carlock in October 2016.
During her sentencing hearing, Mellor’s attorney called six witnesses and submitted nearly 30 letters from Mellor’s supporters, in hopes that Judge Michael Stroh would only sentence her to probation. The defense cited a history of verbal and physical abuse between the Mellors and the high school teacher’s extensive community ties and clean criminal record. The defense argued that Mellor was provoked.
During a hearing Tuesday in Woodford County, Stroh denied Mellor’s request to reconsider her sentence. Mellor plans to appeal with the help of a public defender.
Mellor is currently at the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. She could be paroled in October 2020.
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