Yahoo Movies Father accused of killing two family members at NC restaurant gets decades in prison
A 65-year-old man accused of intentionally driving his car into the side of a restaurant in North Carolina and killing two family members will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Roger Self was sentenced Friday to a minimum of 38 years in prison with the potential to serve close to 50 years, according to multiple media reports. He entered an Alford Plea in January — meaning he pleaded guilty without admitting to the charges, according to WBTV, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner.
“I’m going to die in prison,” Self said during Friday’s sentencing hearing, the Gaston Gazette reported.
Self was 62 when he reportedly got up from a table at the Surf and Turf Lodge in Bessemer City, about 30 minutes west of Charlotte, on May 20, 2018, and drove his Jeep into the building. His daughter, Katelyn Self, and daughter-in-law, Amanda Self, were killed, and several other family members were injured.
Police arrested Self at the scene and charged him with two counts of murder.
Amanda Self, 35, was a nurse in the emergency department at CaroMont Health in Gastonia. She was married to Roger Self’s son, Josh, who was injured in the crash. Katelyn Self, 26, was a corporal in the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office and engaged to be married that year, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Self was a respected businessman in Gaston County before the crash.
His family pastor, the Rev. Austin Rammell, told The Observer that Roger Self’s mental state had deteriorated in the days leading up to the crash. He said the “absolutely insane and evil” act was not like the Roger everyone knew.
“His family and close friends have intensely labored to try and get Roger help. ... At the end of the day, we were all unable to help our friend,” Rammell said.
Self’s defense attorneys cited his mental health during this week’s sentencing hearings and requested he serve 12 years in prison, the Gaston Gazette reported.
A forensic psychiatrist testified during that Self was racked with guilt for visiting strip clubs and massage parlors and having an extramarital affair, WCNC reported. He said Self was taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications but went off them before the crash.
Self also took the stand to testify, according to WBTV, and said he “didn’t feel anything emotionally” during the crash.
“I would’ve realized,” he reportedly said. “First of all, that would’ve never happened if my mind had been in sync with my body.”
Self’s wife, Dianne, and daughter, Taylor Potter, told the court they still love him after what happened, WBTV reported. Dianne Self said she calls him every day and that her husband has apologized.
“His love for us has never faltered, he’s always been that kind of man and I know he would never hurt us,” she said, according to the TV station.
Self’s sentencing hearing lasted four days, and while the prosecution did not ask for any particular sentence, they did request the sentence for both deaths be treated separately, The Gaston Gazette reported.
The judge agreed, ordering Self to serve between 19 and 24 years on both second-degree murder charges, according to WCNC. He was also given additional time for assault charges related to injuries his wife and son suffered in the crash.
The Gaston Gazette reported those sentences will be served concurrently with the murder sentences.
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