Man defiant in face of 89-year sentence

The judge said it would be a mistake to ever allow the man to return to society.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 21-year-old man convicted of multiple charges, including rape and kidnapping, maintained his innocence and emphatically told Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court of his intent to appeal his 89-year sentence.
Chaz Bunch appeared before Judge Krichbaum Thursday, sentenced a second time for the August 2001 kidnapping and rape of a then 21-year-old Boardman woman when Bunch was 16.
Judge Krichbaum sentenced Bunch to 105 years in prison in 2002 on rape, kidnapping and robbery charges. On appeal, the 7th District Court of Appeals overruled Judge Krichbaum on his sentencing for firearms specifications, stating that some firearms convictions should be served concurrently with other sentences rather than separately and consecutively. That and other rulings by the appeals court on procedural issues reduced Bunch's original sentence.
Sentences of 10 years each for three counts of rape and three counts of complicity to rape, 10 years each for aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges, and three years each on three firearms charges total 89 years. Judge Krichbaum told Bunch if he manages to live long enough to complete his prison time, he will then serve five years' probation, and if he violates the terms of that probation, he could face another prison sentence of up to 40 more years.
Judge's statements
Judge Krichbaum said Bunch showed no remorse for the crimes, and evidence against him was "overwhelming. He told Bunch anyone coming into his court convicted of such horrendous crimes to another human being "is going to get whacked."
"I have to make sure you don't ever get out because it would be a mistake for you to be out in society," Judge Krichbaum told Bunch.
Bunch was convicted with three other men in the robbery, rape and kidnapping.
"You abducted a victim from her job at a group home, raped her numerous times and put a gun in her mouth," Judge Krichbaum said. He said Bunch wanted to kill the victim, but one of the other men involved said the victim was pregnant and told him not to kill a pregnant lady.
Judge Krichbaum told Bunch the acts for which he was convicted were "evil, vicious, brutal, inhumane and unspeakable." Judge Krichbaum said that while hearing testimony during the trial and original sentencing, "I hoped to not ever feel like that again -- like I did that day -- and today, I do."
Bunch questions investigation
Bunch said race was a factor in the trial and his conviction because he is black and the victim is white. He said his DNA never showed up in any of the rape testing, and "DNA don't lie."
Bunch said the victim first said he was not involved, but changed her mind. He said prosecutors didn't investigate well enough to have a strong case against him and persuaded the victim to change her mind.
"I'm saying I didn't do this, and the guy who did it is still out there," Bunch said. "The evidence contradicts the jury's verdict."
Three other men were convicted in the case in 2002 and sentenced by Judge Krichbaum. He sentenced Jamar Callier, then 22, to seven years, the maximum sentence he could impose in the kidnapping and gang-rape after Callier made a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office in exchange for his testimony against the other men.
Bunch and two other defendants were convicted in October 2002 and sentenced by Judge Krichbaum. Brandon Moore, then 16, was sentenced to a total of 141 years for kidnapping, rape and robbery charges. Andre Bundy, then 19, got 18 years on robbery counts.