A Princeton man found guilty of killing his wife during a February trial will serve more than 20 years behind bars.
Byron Black, alongside his defense attorney William Deatherage, appeared before Judge Jamus Redd for sentencing on Tuesday, where Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins requested the judge uphold the jury’s recommendation and order restitution to the victim’s family.
click to download audioWhile Deatherage argued that restitution would be “meaningless” given Black’s 25-year sentence, Ovey-Wiggins clarified that Black would still be responsible for payments after his release from prison. Judge Redd then handed down the 25-year sentence, ordering it to be served at a Department of Corrections facility.
Black was convicted of shooting his wife, Kelly Black, after picking her up at the Nashville airport. Princeton Police found her body during a welfare check at a Center Street home on January 28, 2024.
During the investigation, authorities issued an amber alert when they could not locate the couple’s 5-year-old daughter. The next day, after Black was arrested at a Princeton hotel, police found his daughter unharmed and recovered a handgun from his truck.
On the third day of the February trial, a 12-member jury deliberated for about four and a half hours before finding Black guilty of murder and abuse of a corpse.
At the end of Tuesday’s sentencing, Judge Redd advised Black of his right to appeal.
