Defiance man is given 32 years in 2005 death

7/19/2005

DEFIANCE - A Defiance man was sentenced yesterday to 32 years in prison in the death of ex-Toledoan Daniel Pate, 44.

Another young Defiance man involved in the death was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.

The sentences for both Billy Joe March, 24, and Lance Randall Kolb, 23, were close to the maximum allowable by law for the charges to which they pleaded guilty.

March was sentenced yesterday to 10 years each for involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping, seven years for burglary, and five years for tampering with evidence. He could have been sentenced to up to eight years for burglary, which would have made 33 years.

He was not fined, although the law allowed a fine of up to $65,000.

Kolb was sentenced to 10 years for involuntary manslaughter, six years for burglary, and four years for tampering with evidence. He could have been sentenced to up to eight years for burglary and up to five years for tampering with evidence, which would have meant 23 years in prison.

Last week, a third man who pleaded guilty in Pate's death was sentenced to 10 years in prison. That was the maximum prison term for the crimes to which Keith Manuel Kaszowski pleaded guilty: complicity in the commission of involuntary manslaughter and complicity in the commission of felonious assault.

Willie R. Cole is to be arraigned tomorrow. He was indicted for complicity in the commission of involuntary manslaughter and complicity in the commission of felonious assault in Mr. Pate's beating death in December.