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Aug 1, 2008 4:32 pm US/Central
Man Gets 13 Years For Death Of FW Police Officer
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A jury has come back with a sentence for convicted cop killer, Samuel Lee Hilburn.
The jury sentenced Hilburn will serve 13, out of a maximum sentence of 20 years, in prison for intoxication manslaughter death of Fort Worth Police Officer Dwayne Freeto.
The day began with Hilburn and his family taking the stand and pleading for leniency.
A tearful Hilburn apologized to the family and fellow officers of Freeto who was killed in a fiery crash in 2006.
"I want to apologize," Hilburn said from the witness stand to the Freeto family. "There are no words for my remorse. I would trade places with you if I could."
Hilburn was in tears as he apologized to the police officers watching the hearing in the courtroom.
Hilburn still claims he had only had a couple of beers and a mixed drink the night he killed Freeto. Testimony earlier in the trial showed that his alcohol blood level was two and a half times over the legal limit.
Earlier testimony indicated that Hilburn was driving a Lexus at nearly 100 mph when it slammed into Officer Freeto's patrol car. Freeto was trapped inside his burning patrol car and was killed.
Hilburn told jurors he knew the fiery crash was bad, but didn't realize to what extent until he saw crime scene photos later.
The 23-year-old says he's still traumatized by the night and often has trouble even getting into a car. He has sworn off liquor and had pled for leniency so he could raise his four-month-old son.
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