SEDGWICK COUNTY —A judge sentenced a Kansas man Wednesday for the July 2019 sex assault murder of a woman in her home.
John D. Pepper, 57, Wichita, was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 years for first-degree murder and 195 months for aggravated criminal sodomy, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The sentences will run consecutively.
Prosecutors said Pepper killed Rita Golden during the commission of a sex crime. Police said Golden let Pepper stay in her backyard and sometimes let him take naps and eat insider her home.
An autopsy determined Golden died from a heart condition but she also had injuries associated with smothering and sexual assault.
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