Man sentenced for murdering wife on national park land in southern Missouri
A Mountain View man was sentenced Tuesday to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for killing his estranged wife on national park land in the Ozarks.
Dylan Hanger, 31, was sentenced to prison at a hearing in Springfield after he pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Brittany Gorman.
Court documents say Hanger and Gorman, who were separated but still legally married, got into an argument in May of 2020 that ended with Hanger stabbing Gorman to death within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Texas County.
Gorman was reported missing shortly after the encounter. Her vehicle was found at the Buck Hollow Access Area with her eye glasses inside and pools of blood near the driver's side door.
Hanger initially denied any involvement in the case when first questioned by law enforcement, but he later admitted to killing Gorman and dumping her body, court documents say.
The U.S. Sentencing Commission provides a guideline range for how long someone should be sentenced for federal crimes based on the facts of the case and the defendant's criminal history. For Hanger, the guideline sentence was between 17-and-a-half years to just under 22 years, although Judge Doug Harpool could have sentenced Hanger outside that range (up to life in prison) if he chose to do so.
More:Missouri man pleads guilty to killing wife on Ozark National Scenic Riverways land
The U.S. Attorney's Office asked for a sentence of 25 years in prison, citing the impact this case has had on the children shared by Hanger and Gorman.
Gorman's father spoke briefly, asking the judge to not show Hanger any leniency.
Hanger's public defender Ian Lewis asked for a sentence at the low end of the guidelines, pointing out that Hanger was eventually cooperative with law enforcement and took responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty.
Hanger addressed Judge Harpool during Tuesday's hearing, apologizing to those in attendance and showing appreciation for Gorman's parents taking on the responsibility of raising his children.
"Words cannot express how sorry I am for what I've done," Hanger said.
Judge Harpool emphasized the severity of Hanger's crimes and the impact his actions had on many people, especially his children.
"It's simply a horrible, horrible crime and tragedy," Harpool said. "And it rests squarely on your shoulders."
Ultimately, Harpool elected to sentence Hanger at the top end of the guidelines. He said many aspects of the murder were troubling but he wanted to keep consistency with other second-degree murder cases across the country.
Harpool said he hoped Hanger would have "lots of sleepless nights" thinking about his actions and how they affected everyone around him.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Man sentenced for murder of wife at Ozark National Scenic Riverways
