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Onstott: 'For what it's worth: I'm sorry'
Found guilty of second-degree murder on Thursday, David Lee Onstott was sentenced to life in prison Friday morning.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- David Lee Onstott has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 13-year-old Sarah Lunde three years ago.
A Tampa jury found Onstott guilty of second-degree murder and battery yesterday, both lesser convictions than prosecutors had originally sought.
There was no physical or forensic evidence linking Onstott to the crime, and a taped confession investigators obtained was thrown out by a judge.
Prosecutors said Onstott strangled Sarah after coming to the house one night looking for her mother, whom he had once dated.
They said he strangled the teen and disposed her body in a pond near her home in Ruskin. She was found a week later.
The Apology and Confession
Before he was sentenced, David Lee Onstott apologized to Sarah Lunde's mother, Kelly May.
"For what it's worth, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear it," Onstott said. "Kelly, my condolences. I'm sorry."
May says she didn't care to hear the apology. But one thing she wants people to hear is Onstott's confession.
It happened during a taped interview with detectives just six days after Lunde was killed.
But the judge did not let the jury hear it during the trial.
During the interview, Onstott told the detectives he did it.
Onstott: "I did it. Are we done?"
Detective: "What's that?"
Onstott: "I did it."
Then detectives continued questioning him about how he did it.
Detective: "You said you remember choking her."
Onstott: "I remember choking her. I don't remember where."
Detective: "You don't remember where? Was it inside the trailer? Was it outside? Was it in the lanai?"
Onstott: "I don't remember. I know, I know, I know I choked her."
Kelly May knew about the confession all along. That's why she pleaded with the judge to take Onstott off the streets for good.
"I just beg of you don't let him out again," she said. "Please don't for society's sake. Because it will happen again."
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