A man who entered a guilty plea in December 2019 in connection to the 2017 murders of two Fort Campbell soldiers, including his estranged wife, will spend the rest of his life in prison after a judge denied his request to withdraw his plea during his sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Jeremy Demar pled guilty to two counts of murder, attempted murder and other offenses in the shooting deaths of his estranged wife, 22-year old Priscilla East, and 28-year old Christopher Hoch at a home in Oak Grove in February 2017. As part of his plea deal, he avoided the death penalty.
During final sentencing Wednesday in Christian Circuit Court, Demar pleaded with Judge John Atkins to allow him to withdraw his plea because he was scared and trying to avoid a death penalty when he agreed to the Commonwealth’s plea agreement.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling said he had three impact statements from victims who wanted Judge Atkins to read them to Demar.
The first statement Judge Atkins read was from the family of Priscilla East, who said they have a lifetime to reflect on her murder.
Judge Atkins then read a letter from Hoch’s fiancee’, who said what Demar has done is unforgivable.
After reading the statements, Judge Atkins sentenced Demar to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
