Jonathon Conklin (left) and Charles Sanford (right).
MAYVILLE – The sentencing date for the two men involved in the 2014 murder of a member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra has been pushed back.
Chautauqua County district attorney Patrick Swanson says both 31 year-old Charles Sanford and 44 year-old Jonathon Conklin will have their sentencing date rescheduled when they appear in court next Thursday, March 10. The two men reached a plea deal with the D-A’s office regarding the murder of violinist Mary Whitaker in August 2014 at her home just outside of the village of Sherman. The murder took place as the two men attempted to burglarize Whitaker’s home on Titus road.
Sanford was originally scheduled for sentencing yesterday and Conklin was scheduled for sentencing on March 10.
According to a report in the Jamestown Post-Journal, the rescheduling is mostly due to procedural issues, particularly the need to have the defendants’ federal and state sentencing dates closer together.
Both Conklin and Sanford have pleaded guilty in county court to second-degree murder. They face a potential 25 years to life and 15 years to life in state prison, respectively. They also pleaded guilty to federal charges last fall, connected to the possession of a firearm and carjacking. Each carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
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