KANSAS
A federal judge Tuesday sentenced Adam W. Purinton, of Olathe, Kansas, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the February 2017 killing of Indian national Srinivas Kuchibhotla, according to officials.
Purinton also shot two other men – Indian national Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot – at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, according to officials.
Earlier this year, Purinton plead guilty in federal court to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting, according to officials.
At his federal guilty-plea hearing, Purinton admitted in open court that he targeted and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race and that he shot Grillot during an attempt to flee the scene of the crime, according to authorities.
Purinton has also pleaded guilty in state court to charges of murder and attempted murder, and has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in state prison.
Sunayana Dumala, the widow of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, addressed Purinton in her victim-impact statement: “My husband was more than what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to others. Srinu and I came to the United States of America full of dreams and aspirations. . . . Now, my American Dream – and that of Srinu’s – is broken. If you could have kept your anger inside and spoke to my husband softly, Srinu would have been more than happy to share his background and help you understand that not every brown skinned person is suspicious or evil, but kind, smart and contributing to America. Instead, you chose to rage and bully in anger and when you were stopped, you decided to take their lives. . . . [U]se the time that is being given to you to educate yourself and inform others who are still out in the open and stop them from killing innocent people as you did – choosing violence over kindness.”
“The crimes at issue, in this case, are detestable,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “The defendant acted with clear premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man, simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been filled with suffering. Securing this sentence is important not only to the victims and their loved ones but also to our justice system and our nation as a whole.
“No matter who you are, what you believe, or how you worship, you should be able to live without fear of becoming a victim of hate crimes. We hope today’s sentencing brings some closure for the victims and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas.