Alaska Man Who Raped 2-Year-Old Girl And Killed Grandparents Jailed 359 Years
An Alaska man received a 359-year sentence on Friday after a jury found him guilty of raping a 2-year-old girl and killing her grandparents, according to the New York Daily News. Just 12 hours after being released early from prison in May, 2013, Jerry Active, 26, of Anchorage — who was 24-years-old at the time – broke into the home of Touch Chea, 71, and his wife, Sorn, 73.
Once Active made his way into the Mountain View Apartments, he raped Sorn as well as her 2-year-old granddaughter, then bludgeoned the elderly couple to death. Before he could flee the scene or harm the toddler, another couple, Von and Minesoreta Seng, returned to the apartment in which they shared with the Chea’s and discovered the gruesome scene.
UPDATED: Jerry Active, maintaining innocence, sentenced to 359 years for 2013 murders, rapes http://t.co/dngmScJpcn pic.twitter.com/71b1HDkD1Y
— Alaska Dispatch News (@adndotcom) August 21, 2015
According to Alaska Dispatch News, Active assaulted the couple just before fleeing the scene. However, he was later arrested and charged with “10 felony counts, including first-degree murder, multiple counts of sexual assault, sexually abusing a minor, and robbery.”
Although Active claimed he was innocent and didn’t kill the elderly couple, rape the 2-year-old girl, or assault the couple who returned to the apartment after a movie date, he was found guilty of the crimes after a month-long trial. An Alaska judge sentenced Jerry Active — whose hands and legs were handcuffed and showed little emotion in court — to 359 years behind prison bars.
During the trial, general Alaska attorney stated that he should have received a longer sentence in his previous case, as he has a long history of violent crimes. In 2009, Active was given a seven-year sentence followed by probation after breaking into an Alaska home and raping a child and several others.
Believing that he was safe enough to return the community, Active was released early from prison, but the first thing on his mind was to rape and kill.
The couple, who Active assaulted right after brutally murdering the toddler’s grandparents, didn’t attend the sentencing but they listened via telephone. They also refused to give a “victim impact statement” for reasons not disclosed.
“Mr. Active’s actions will remain a scar on the community,” said Judge Philip Volland. “These murders were senseless, brutal, bloody, and bloodthirsty.”
“He should remain in prison for the rest of his life.”
However, Active told the judge that “I’ll stand by my innocence until the end” and plans to file an appeal, as his attorney, Chong Yim, stated that the court had insufficient evidence.
[Image courtesy of Thomas Hawk / Flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0]
