Sentence leaves Couch parole-ready

Jan. 5– Carl Couch was sentenced Tuesday to five years for voluntary manslaughter in the April 2008 shooting death of Sammy Gary outside a Bruton Branch convenience store.

Jailed since his arrest two days after the killing, Couch, 45, is already eligible for parole because he is a Range I offender required to serve 30 percent of his sentence, or 18 months.

This morning, Couch remained held at the Hardin County Jail.

Charged with first degree murder, a Hardin County Circuit Court jury in November found Couch guilty of the lesser offense, a decision his court-appointed defense attorney, Ryan Feeney of Selmer, hailed as a "victory."

If convicted of first degree murder Couch could have spent the rest of his life in prison. The sentencing range for voluntary manslaughter is three to six years.

Couch shot Gary, 37, in the chest and eye with a .22 caliber derringer.

He claimed Gary had been bullying him and threatening to rape his 14-year-old daughter, and he fired only after Gary came at him with a knife. No physical evidence of a knife was produced at the trial.

Couch’s estranged wife, who had custody of their children, had been living with Gary.

The prosecution contended Couch retrieved his pawned gun the day of the shooting, then deliberately hunted Gary down and killed him.

In 1999, Couch was convicted of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.