City Times Staff

Larry Sanchez might never leave prison again.

The 59-year-old Bancroft man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison after he fatally shot his wife while he was drunk.

Sanchez was convicted in July after pleading guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Lisa Sanchez, 47, at the his home in Bancroft last June. Following the shooting, Sanchez held police at bay during a four-hour armed standoff that brought out area SWAT teams. He was forced out of the home with pepper spray.

Portage Co. Judge Thomas Flugaur heard from several of Lisa Sanchez’s family members before he handed down his sentence, including on relative who said, “Larry is not crazy, Larry is not insane; Larry is a murderer,” in a letter to the judge.

Larry Sanchez did not speak during the sentencing hearing on Thursday, instead making his statement through his attorney Emily Nolan-Plutchak.

“My deepest apologies to Lisa and her family, I loved her very much, she was the love of my life I wish she was still here,” The statement read in part.

Flugaur was not moved.

“For somebody who cares so much, you never called 911, you never tried to assist her, she had to flee the house,” the judge said.

Nolan-Plutchak argued that Larry Sanchez has a deteriorating liver condition and might not live to serve out any prison sentence. If he does, he’ll be required to serve 10 years of supervision upon release.

When he was arrested, Larry Sanchez told investigators his wife was accidentally struck when he was cleaning a handgun on his couch and it accidentally fired. Police did not find any evidence to support his claim.

When arrested, Larry Sanchez has a 0.24 percent blood-alcohol level, which is three times the legal limit to drive.