LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A grisly court case in southern Indiana came to an end on Friday.
Brian Williams was given the maximum penalty, and sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder.
His dad was emotional, taking the stand to ask for leniency for his son.
"At this point, I feel like I failed my son," he said. "I just need him to get some help."
Police said they found 67-year-old Melody Gambetty decapitated in her Clarksville apartment while responding to a fire in July 2021.
Investigators said they believe Williams killed her during a botched robbery or home invasion.
The prosecutor spoke on behalf of her friends and family, explaining they could not face him after what he did.
"Because of the nature of the facts of this case, what they did to her, I think it was difficult for them to attend court hearings and relive what she went through," Clark County prosecutor Jeremy Mull said. "So, from the beginning they asked that I handle this, to get him convicted and sent to prison."
In addition to 55 years in prison, Williams will get outside mental healthcare treatment, a request from his dad.
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