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Sharpe gets
life sentence as victims address court
by Tom Farmer
Nov. 30 - A sniveling and agitated Dr.
Richard Sharpe was denied a last-stand forum for sympathy yesterday and
sniffed away tears as he was led off to life in prison for killing his
wife after nearly three decades of domestic abuse.
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``I loved Karen. I'm sorry for what
happened,'' said Sharpe before bursting into tears after being told by
his attorney that Lawrence Superior Court Judge Christine M. McEvoy
would not allow him to make a statement.
McEvoy sentenced him to life with no
chance of parole for the July 14, 2000, shooting death of his estranged
wife, Karen, 44, in her Wenham home.
Sharpe, 47, a brilliant, yet bizarre,
dermatologist and businessman who cross-dressed to ``relax'' and stole
his wife and oldest daughter's clothing, claimed he was insane when he
killed his wife with a single rifle shot in the middle of a contentious
divorce and custody battle over the youngest of their three children.
The two minors, Michael, now 8, who was
awoken by the shot and watched his mother die on her foyer floor, and
Alexandra, 5, live in Connecticut with Kathleen and Victor Lembo, their
aunt and uncle. The Sharpes' oldest daughter, Shannon, 28, who is
engaged to be married next fall, is also a temporary guardian for her
younger siblings.
With her husband at her side, Kathleen
Lembo read a statement before McEvoy explaining how the mostly secret,
then deadly domestic abuse heaped on Karen Sharpe by her husband
throughout their 27-year marriage has changed their family forever.
``There is no excuse on this earth for
what was done to Karen,'' said Lembo. ``As Shannon plans for her
wedding, her mother will not be there to help her pick out her dress or
her flowers. Michael will never be able to bring home his first true
love for his mom's approval. And Ali has already experienced the
inability to have her mom present at her kindergarten graduation.''
Lembo promised some good would come from
her sister's death and it has made her family more appreciative of each
other.
``As a family, we now make it our mission
to celebrate the life of Karen Hatfield Sharpe,'' she said. ``We all
know that we'll continue to see Karen - all we have to do is look into
the eyes of her children and she'll be there.''
Sharpe's three siblings, several former
patients and friends submitted letters on his behalf to McEvoy.
Kristen Dormitzer, who was babysitting for
Karen Sharpe the night she was killed, wrote: ``All these pictures keep
appearing in my head. Karen - seeing her trying to run. Me trying to
run, and Mikey's face when I got to him. I remember thinking, `God,
please get us out, tell me she's not dead.' ''
McEvoy said she was moved by the dignity
of the victim's family throughout the three-week trial and jury
deliberation and had stern words for the man she was sending away.
``There is no sentence that I can impose
that will bring Karen Sharpe back - not in your respective lives as a
sister, daughter and most importantly, as a mother,'' McEvoy told the
family. ``Those children will never have as a result of this murder her
comfort, solace, support and love for the rest of their lives. But they
will have her spirit based on the representation here in this court.''
Making Sharpe stand, McEvoy said, ``This
court now holds you responsible for the murder of Karen Sharpe. I do
feel this punishment is the just punishment for what you have done.'' |
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