Zach Adams will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole after lawyers reached a plea deal with the state in the Holly Bobo murder trial.
The decision was reached early Saturday morning in Hardin County court before jurors were brought in for the sentencing phase.
Full Story: Zach Adams Found Guilty In Murder Of HollyBobo
Photos: Zach Adams Sentenced To Life In Prison
Adams will serve life in prison, plus consecutive terms of 25 years for both the kidnapping and rape convictions.
Karen Bobo took the stand for the victim impact statement and said the decision was made not for Adams' sake but for the "future of [their] family."
When addressing Zach Adams, Karen Bobo called him an "animal" and asked that he look directly at her when she spoke.
“I know that my daughter fought hard for her life and I know that she begged for her life because my daughter loved and enjoyed life,” Bobo said. “But you chose to take that from her and you have shown absolutely no remorse for anything that you have done.”
Family and friends of Holly Bobo waited for justice for six years. On Friday, Adams was found guilty on all counts of kidnapping, rape and the murder of the 20-year-old nursing student.
It took six men and six women 11 days to convict Adams. The 33-year-old had little reaction has the jury foreman announced his fate to a courtroom packed with people, including Holly's parents.
A motive for the crime still remains a mystery.
For Holly's family, the verdict offered some semblance of closure. Although they recognized that no verdict will ever bring their daughter home.
A trial date has yet to be set for the other two other defendants in the case - Jason Autry and Dylan Adams. A status hearing has been scheduled for November 14.
