Man gets life sentence for hammer slaying

BEAVER, Pa. (AP) -- A man was formally sentenced to life in prison without parole for beating his mother's longtime companion to death with a claw hammer because the man wouldn't lend him $500 to buy Christmas presents.
A Beaver County jury convicted John Corbin of Ellwood City of second-degree murder last month in the Dec. 8, 2002, slaying of David Kyler, 68, who had lived with Corbin's mother for about 30 years.
Corbin maintained his innocence at his sentencing Wednesday and during a 20-minute speech called police investigators liars.
"Time tells all. Time tells on all. My plea of self-defense is appropriate. I was not the aggressor. I was in fear for my life," Corbin told Judge John McBride.
The judge replied, "You might say you're sorry. I don't believe you have a remorseful bone in your body."
Prosecutors said Corbin sneaked into Kyler's Beaver Falls home to steal money after Kyler had refused to give him money because he hadn't paid back $20 he had borrowed earlier.
Prosecutors said Kyler likely woke up and the two fought. During the struggle, Corbin grabbed a claw hammer and beat Kyler as many as nine times.
Before leaving the house with about $200 of Kyler's money, prosecutors said, Corbin ransacked a room to make it look like someone robbed the house.
Corbin argued he killed Kyler in self-defense. He testified he went to Kyler's house to ask for $500 to buy Christmas presents and the older man attacked him and began choking him. Corbin said he grabbed the hammer to try to free himself.
Prosecutors countered Corbin's account was unlikely because Kyler was blind in one eye, had part of a leg amputated and was weakened by diabetes.
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