MICHAEL THOMASON

Staff Writer

MADISONVILLE-After a week of testimony, video watching and a packed courtroom at the edge of their seats, the jury in the Jim Miller murder trial did the rarest of things: return a verdict that seemed to please both sides.

Jessica Kennedy, 28, had been charged with felony first-degree murder in the July 2010 death of Miller, 60, but the jury didn't appear to feel she was guilty of that crime.

Instead, the jury convicted her of facilitation of felony first-degree murder, basically meaning she was there and helped in the killing. That crime carries a sentencing range of 15-25 years, but Kennedy could serve as little as 30 percent of the sentence depending on how Judge Walter Kurtz rules in a sentencing hearing on Oct. 3 and how she comports herself in prison.

Kennedy was also convicted of facilitation of aggravated robbery, facilitation of setting fire to personal property and facilitation of abuse of a corpse. Those offenses have sentence ranges of 3-6 years, 1-2 years and 11 months 29 days respectively. If things go her way (sentences run concurrently, she gets credit for good behavior), taking into account the two years she's already served, Kennedy could be out in less than five years.

Kennedy's lawyer, John Eldridge, said to get these convictions, after being charged with first-degree murder, is amazing.

"That's an incredible come down from such a high charge," he said. "Jessica is very excited by this. She knows that someday she will have a new and better life."

See full story in the Wednesday, August 22, edition of The Advocate & Democrat.