JACKSON, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau County judge sentenced an Advance, Mo., man Monday to three life sentences after he earlier pleaded guilty to rape and sodomy charges.
Steven McWhirter, who pleaded guilty Aug. 18 to the unclassified felony of first-degree rape and two unclassified felonies of first-degree statutory sodomy appeared for sentencing before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis, according to a news release from Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver.
After reviewing a sentencing report completed by Probation and Parole, Oliver said, Lewis sentenced McWhirter to life imprisonment on each charge.
The two statutory sodomy life sentences were ordered served concurrent to one another, but consecutive to the forcible rape life sentence, Oliver said.
"There is no joy ever found in any case like this," Oliver said. "There is, however, solace in the fact that while we can not undo the trauma done to this child, this sentence guarantees that no other child will ever suffer at the hands of the defendant."