MOSCOW, Idaho -- A Moscow man received the maximum prison sentence Tuesday for killing his pregnant wife and setting their apartment on fire to cover the evidence.
Silas Parks was sentenced Tuesday in Latah County Superior Court to 40 years in prison for two counts of Voluntary Manslaughter. He will be eligible for parole after 20 years served. Parks will receive credit for time already served; he's already spent about one year behind bars.
Parks pleaded guilty to the deaths that occurred in June, 2009. He admitted to strangling his wife Sarah to death, also killing their unborn baby they'd already named Lilly Ann.
For the first time in more than a year, Sarah Parks' family sat in the same room as the man who killed their beloved sister and daughter. Wearing buttons with her picture, they took the stand to reinforce why he needs to be locked up. Sarah's sister told the court Silas was someone they had welcomed into their hearts, family, and home. She says she didn't know there was such evil in the world.
Parks himself cried through much of the sentencing, contradictory to his repulsive actions last summer.
Sarah's mother also took the stand to read dozens of letters from devastated students.
Then, just before sentencing, Silas stood to ask for forgiveness. He says he had 'failed utterly at my vows as a husband and I've failed as a decent human being. The potential in me to explode is scary. I can hardly believe what I've done.' At one point Silas told the court, 'I love Sarah, I still love Sarah more than life itself. I deserve whatever this court decides to give me.'
Parks avoided the death penalty because the Latah County Prosecutor said there was not enough evidence to prove Parks thought out the crime.
