Louisville woman sentenced to prison in Klondike strangulation case
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville woman was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a man in the Klondike neighborhood in 2019.
Michelle Sarvis, 59, received the 10-year sentence Monday in Jefferson Circuit Court after pleading guilty to amended charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence.
She had initially been charged with murder following the Oct. 11, 2019, death of Kevin Hellems, who was found dead that morning inside his home in the 3200 block of Pomeroy Drive.
Police previously said Sarvis had entered the residence and struck Hellems multiple times before strangling him and taking his credit card and cell phone. A motive was not clear.
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Hellems was 55 years old. He worked as a cabinet maker and craftsman and owned a custom woodworking and renovation business, working on projects around the city, according to his obituary.
During her sentencing hearing, Sarvis reportedly spoke through tears to the man's family.
"It was never my intent," she said, according to WLKY. "I realize that your lives will never be the same, but neither will mine. However, I don't ask for pity, but I do ask for forgiveness."
Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw presided over the sentencing hearing, and Sarvis was represented by a public defender.
Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville woman sentenced to prison, Oct. 11, 2019 Klondike homicide
