EUREKA – A man who pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of two women has been sentenced to one year in county jail.
California Highway Patrol says Kade Robert Chandler was under the influence of drugs and alcohol the night of February 21, 2015 when he got behind the wheel of his Toyota Tundra carrying three passengers.
According to a release from the time, Chandler allowed the truck to leave State Route 36 east of Swimmer’s Delight. It struck a tree and two of his passengers, 19-year-old Kendra Lewis and 21-year-old Savannah Kindred, died from injuries sustained in the crash. The third passenger suffered moderate injuries.
Nearly three years later and after many delays, Chandler pleaded guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing pictures of the two women were lined up in the courtroom.
The victim’s family members shared the toll their deaths have had on their extended family, community and the Blue Lake Rancheria of only 51 members.
Savannah’s father described their family as ‘silver lining kind of people’ but said that for the last 1,000 days that has been taken away.
Savannah’s mother Tamara said her daughter was kind, happy, and funny. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees teared up as Tamara described holding her daughter’s lifeless hand in the hospital and her desire to meet the recipient’s of her donated organs so she could be with Savannah again.
Kendra and Savannah’s great aunt shared that a huge branch of the tribal tree had been ripped off and a large part of the tribe’s future with it. She said it’s been a tragedy for her family and acknowledged the tragedy for Chandler’s family too.
Some of those who spoke begged the judge to impose the maximum sentence of six years in state prison and decried probation as an unjust consequence of Chandler’s actions.
Reading an apology letter he sent to probation, Chandler said he has a picture of Kendra hanging in his house to remind him of who she was and what he did to cause this loss. He said he was forever sorry for all of his actions and will find ways to help others make different choices than he did that night.
Once statements concluded Judge John Feeney said that in his twenty years on the bench it hasn’t gotten any easier to serve justice to all involved, in fact it’s gotten harder.
Feeney said that given Chandler had no prior criminal history he deserved the opportunity of supervised probation after serving a full year in county jail.
Chandler must also serve 1,000 hours of community service and can’t drive for three years. If he violates probation, a judge could send him to prison.
Feeney ended by wishing peace to family and friends of Savannah and Kendra and expressed his hope that Kade Chandler can make good out of this terrible situation.
Chandler was immediately taken in to custody to begin serving his time in jail.
