Lawrence woman sentenced to 40 months in prison for boyfriend’s fentanyl overdose death | News, Sports, Jobs

Photograph: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Chloe Colby appears at a plea hearing in Douglas County District Court on July 3, 2024.

Updated: Friday, November 8 17:48

A Lawrence woman was sentenced Friday to 40 months in prison for her role in the fentanyl-induced killing of her 21-year-old boyfriend more than three years ago.

The sentence brought relief to the family of victim Kendall Royce Stiffler, who appeared in court last month and was waiting for the sentence to be handed down, but was disappointed. last minute delay The incident occurred because Chloe Colby allegedly became pregnant while out on bail. The pregnancy was not mentioned in court Friday.

Stiffler’s mother, Ashli ​​Gill, told the Journal-World after the hearing that her family was “very pleased with the verdict.”

Photograph: Contributed

Kendall Stiffler

Aspect Journal-World reportedIt was revealed that Colby, 23, had supplied her then-boyfriend Stiffler with lethal drugs from the “dark web”. Stiffler died on April 21, 2021, and Colby pleaded no contest to a manslaughter charge in July of this year.

Colby, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced Friday to 32 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and 8 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, with the sentences to be served consecutively. The state, represented by Deputy District Attorney David Greenwald and Deputy District Attorney Samantha Foster, had sought enhanced sentences for both crimes; which meant four more months in total—a small amount, Greenwald acknowledged, but he saw symbolic value in “solving.” He told the court about someone he described as a “drug queen” that police found more than 1,000 pills in her home and noted that she was trying to buy more illegal drugs for someone else even after Stiffler’s death.

“He is dangerous,” Greenwald said, “and that is the most important of all other concerns.”

Judge Sally Pokorny agreed to let the sentences run consecutively, but defense attorneys Angela Keck and Branden Smith argued for the minimum sentences to run concurrently. Keck argued that Colby, who was just 19 when Stiffler died and whom he described as a “very sweet and sensitive” woman, was a model client, never missed an appointment and complied with everything the legal system required. Keck also stated that Colby scored well on the recidivism risk test and expressed remorse for Stiffler’s death.

Colby acted as if he were going to address the court but appeared choked up and did not speak despite his parents speaking.

Colby’s father, Troy Colby, called his daughter a “kind, gentle soul” who deserved a second chance and noted that she was at a vulnerable time in her life. Her mother, Shellie Colby, praised Stiffler for being kind and caring and told the court it was “sad to see such a young person lose her life in such a senseless way”, but said she did not believe her daughter was responsible for her death. Rather, he said, they were two very young people — “addicts” — who made bad choices while under the influence.

The picture he painted contrasted with that of Stiffler’s family, who also addressed the court and called Colby emotionally abusive.

After describing his son’s “big heart,” his love of family, reading, wrestling and regular “mother-son date nights” at sushi restaurants and IHOP, Gill told the court about his son’s struggle with ADHD and his efforts to quit drugs. — efforts she says were thwarted at every turn by Colby, whom she met during her senior year of high school.

“He controlled her in over 100 ways, and drugs were just one of them,” a negotiator in the case reportedly told him after reviewing messages between Stiffler and Colby.

She said her son, trying to get his life together, asked his husband to go to the couple’s home to make sure it was drug-free, but Colby wouldn’t allow it.

“He used addiction to control himself,” Gill told the court, when Stiffler was rushed to the emergency room after the overdose and refused to tell the doctor what medications Colby was taking — a claim repeated by prosecutors.

Stiffler’s sister, Josi Gill, who is nine years younger than Stiffler, described the pain of losing her brother suddenly at age 12. He said she was his “fiercest champion” even though he sometimes annoyed her by getting under her feet.

“Mom, come and get Josi; “He’s getting in our way,” he said he would shout when his friends were finished. “I would give anything to hear those words again.”

He said his brother taught him to always look for the good in bad situations. It was a trait their mother also alluded to when she told the court: “I continue to pray for Chloe because I know Kendall will want her to get better in the end.” and get your life back on track.

Before announcing his sentence, Pokorny described the situation as a “terrible tragedy” that had huge impacts on two families. While noting the terrible pain of losing a child, he said jailing people was “not the solution” to the country’s drug crisis; He ordered the standard sentence under the state’s sentencing guidelines for manslaughter and the minimum sentence for conspiracy. distribute the conviction.

Colby had been free on $250,000 bail since his arrest on October 7, 2021, meaning he did not have to pay any money to get out of jail. He was handcuffed and taken into custody immediately following Friday’s hearing.

Photograph: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Chloe Colby was taken into custody following a sentencing hearing in Douglas County District Court on Friday, November 8, 2024. His lawyer Angela Keck is on the left.