Dane Wright – convicted of killing his girlfriend and setting fire to her home in June – will spend at least 29 years in prison.
Sedgwick County District Court Judge Stephen Ternes on Friday morning ordered Wright to serve a life term plus 59 months for murdering 36-year-old Reyona Caldwell on June 2, said Dan Dillon, spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The life sentence carries parole eligibility after 25 years. He’ll serve the additional five years after he’s granted parole on the murder charge.
Wright, 29, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree felony murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated arson and three counts of child endangerment. Firefighters discovered Caldwell’s body underneath a burned mattress and a metal shelf in the basement of 321 N. Ash, near Second and Grove, after receiving a report of a fire there. Investigators found pools of blood, several hammers, a gas container and a lighter near her body. She died from head trauma, smoke inhalation and burns, a coroner determined.
Caldwell’s three children, who were missing and became the subject of an Amber Alert, later were found in a south Wichita motel room that Wright had rented. He told police he left the kids there to use methamphetamine and visit a casino.
Amy Renee Leiker: 316-268-6644, @amyreneeleiker
This story was originally published December 08, 2017 4:32 PM.