Roger Self will serve at least 38 years in prison after being convicted of killing his daughter, Katelyn Self, and daughter-in-law, Amanda George Self, in 2018 by driving his Jeep into a restaurant where his family was seated after attending Sunday morning worship services.
While 38 years represents the minimum prison sentence for the 65-year-old Self, his maximum sentence handed down Friday by Superior Court Judge Athena Brooks was 48 years. I wish I would have had an opportunity before I died to hold my family again, he said in addressing the judge after sentencing. I m going to die in prison, Self added. But then I ll be free because of Christ and his love for all of us.
The facts are not up for debate.
Roger Self, a prominent Gaston County businessman, used his Jeep Grand Cherokee as a weapon on May 20, 2018, and drove it into a Bessemer City restaurant where his family was seated to eat.
In the process, he killed his daughter, Gaston County Sheriff s Cpl. Katelyn Self, and his daughter-in-law Amanda Self, a CaroMont Health emergency room supervising nurse.
Several others were also injured, including his wife, Dianne, son, Josh, who was the husband of Amanda Self, and their two children, ages 12 and 8 at the time.
Self has already admitted guilt, pleading guilty Jan. 25 to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of his two family members.
Superior Court Judge Robert C. Ervin convened a hearing on the removal of Newman on Monday morning.
James P. Cooney III, the independent counsel, said in opening arguments that ample grounds exist to warrant the removal of the district attorney. He cited the three pillars of the case against the elected prosecutor for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties:
A plea deal Newman made that allowed a defendant charged with five child sexual abuse felonies to plead guilty to one misdemeanor in a brief proceeding that the victim was not made aware of.
The successful charge of vindictive prosecution by a defendant jailed for eight and a half years, a case currently on appeal before the state Supreme Court.