Police, judge, and family of Kara Nichols say her killer’s prison sentence is ‘not strict enough’
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Justice finally came for family and friends of an El Paso County teen strangled to death by a man now convicted of reckless manslaughter. However, her family says it's not enough.
Inside an El Paso County courtroom Thursday, District Judge William Bain sentenced Joel Hollendorfer to 24 years in prison, including the time he's already served, for the killing of Kara Nichols in October 2012. She was 19 when she died.
After a two-week trial in June, an El Paso County jury found him guilty of manslaughter; however, he was acquitted on charges of 1st and 2nd-degree murder.
Judge Bain found that Hollendorfer was a "habitual criminal" during a court trial in July. Determining that allowed Hollendorfer to be sentenced at three times the maximum sentence for the manslaughter charge. The mandatory sentence for manslaughter is only six years.
Judge Bain, along with multiple detectives with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, and Nichols' friends and family expressed the vast amount of hurt and anguish that Hollendorfer's actions have caused them.
In a rare move, the detectives spoke about finding Nichols' body wrapped in a half-dozen trash bags on the Hollendorfer property. It's a sight that the detectives said they wouldn't forget and conveyed their displeasure with the sentence Hollendorfer received.
13 Investigates also spoke with Nichols' mother, Julia Nichols, who expressed her desire to see multiple Colorado laws change.
"A person can kill someone and continually lie to the authorities and degrade another person and just get a slap on the wrist," Julia said. "It's an outrage that had it not been for these circumstances, he would have gotten off with a sentence that is less than possibly a sentence for theft or other less serious crimes, that this is possible to literally get away with murder."
Julia wants to see the sentencing guidelines for manslaughter convictions re-examined by Colorado lawmakers.
"The person does not have a life anymore and it should be considered the most heinous crime and there should be some sort of punishment commensurate with that crime," Julia said. "We were in disbelief over the leniency of his sentence and the fact that he will undoubtedly, undoubtedly try for parole, which we hope he doesn't receive."
A statement on social media on behalf of the Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen called on the Department of Corrections to uphold the entirety of Hollendorfer's sentence.
Nichols' long-time friends addressed the court during the sentencing hearing Thursday, expressing the impact losing their friend has made on their lives and Kara's families as well.
"There's no way to move on. There's no way to really get justice. Nothing will bring their daughter back. Nothing could undo the pain that they're going through," Erin Wyrick said.
"A monster, a monster's actually an understatement. He's completely vile. Disgusting," said Autumn Hopefe, Nichols' friend.
Nichols' family and friends said they will be at every single parole hearing in Hollendorfer's future. They stated their opposition to him ever being offered early release on a sentence that Judge Bain stated was "not commiserate to the pain in the courtroom."
