Justin Buchanan sentenced 30 years to life for the murder of his stepmother and attempted murder of his father
SHANDON, Calif. (KEYT) – Justin Tray Buchanan was sentenced to 30 years to life in state prison for the murder of Kelly Jean Buchanan, the attempted murder of William Louis Buchanan, and the assault of Sergio Rangel.
Buchanan pleaded guilty all charged counts on Oct. 14 of this year as well as the special allegations that he inflicted great bodily injury while attacking William Buchanan and that he used a knife during the attacks stated the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office in a press release Tuesday.
On July 16, 2023, Justin Buchanan used a knife to attack his stepmother Kelly and father William during an argument at their Shandon home.
When Justin Buchanan continued to attack Kelly outside of the home, neighbor Sergio Rangel tried to intervene and had to use several weapons to defend himself detailed the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.
Despite those attempts, Kelly later died from her injuries and William was left severely injured noted the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.
"The tragedy of family violence leaves a lasting effect on the entire family and our community," said District Attorney Dan Dow. "While this sentence will not bring Mrs. Buchanan back, it serves to punish the killer and to send a strong message to others that we will always hold offenders accountable to the maximum extent we can under California law."
