SAN DIEGO (AP) — Bud Shelton, 34, was sentenced to 25 years and four months for setting fire to the body of a teenager in the Morena/Linda Vista neighborhood in August 2022. The victim, 15-year-old Janaeshia Dubose, had died from a fentanyl overdose before Shelton burned her body, according to prosecutors.
During the sentencing, friends and family of the victim spoke, expressing their anguish and sorrow over the loss of Janaeshia. The victim’s father, in a heartfelt plea, expressed the pain of losing his daughter. Additionally, the victim’s family expressed disappointment and felt that justice had not been served with Shelton’s sentence.
Shelton, who had taken a plea deal, pleaded guilty to arson, mutilating human remains, and statutory rape. Despite a record of theft, drugs, and violence, he had never been charged with homicide. The judge also mentioned that Shelton did not have any prior sexual crimes, and thus, was not required to register as a sex offender.
The victim’s family expressed a deep sense of loss and unfairness, stating that Shelton’s sentence did not adequately account for the pain they continue to feel. Darlene Waller, the victim’s grandmother, lamented that 25 years and four months was insufficient punishment for the gravity of the crime, expressing the feeling of being robbed of the chance to see her granddaughter grow up.
Shelton, who will be nearly 60 years old upon release, remained in custody during the sentencing. The judge noted that despite his criminal history, Shelton had not faced charges for sexual offenses.
In conclusion, the sentencing of Bud Shelton for burning the body of a teenager after her death from a drug overdose has left the victim’s family feeling that justice has not been fully served. The emotional impact of the crime weighed heavily as the family expressed their sense of loss and disappointment in the verdict.