CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- Quentin Bird, 25, will live the rest of his life in prison with no possibility for parole for stabbing his pregnant ex-girlfriend to death.
Bird was found guilty of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder for killing 20-year-old Allison Tenbarge who was nine-months pregnant with their son, Parker.
Following a three-day trial, a Montgomery County jury had to decide if Bird’s automatic life sentence would be served with or without parole.
A sentencing hearing was held on Thursday, Feb. 27, and the jury reached their decision in about an hour and a half.
Before they decided they heard from the fathers of both Tenbarge and Bird.
“It’s hard to comprehend.”
Kenneth Tenbarge, a lieutenant with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department, spoke about the love he and his family had for Allison Tenbarge.
They shared a special father-daughter bond and laughed about his corny dad jokes and loved singing country songs when they were in his truck together. One of their favorite songs to belt out was a song called “Backwards,” by Rascal Flatts. The songs describe living life backward and getting everything back you once lost.
“I’ll never get to see my daughter on her wedding day,” he said. “The money I saved for her wedding, I used it for her funeral. I’ll never get to see her in her white dress and veil. I’ll never get to walk her up the aisle. …and to lose a grandchild … I’ll never get to see him born or hold him. I’ll never get to teach him things (like my granddad taught me).”
Tenbarge kept his composure as he explained his entire family is devastated.
“It’s really hard to comprehend. Some times it doesn’t compute,” he said. “… I wish I could make that song “Backwards” true and I could get my Allison back.”
Remorseful
Bird’s father, Archie Bird, said he and his wife adopted Quentin Bird when he was 10 months old. He lived a normal childhood, played football in high school at Trigg County, Ky., and had never been a fighter.
“He’s remorseful,” Bird said. “He’s very much regretted what happened.”
Robert Nash, assistant district attorney, said the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, cruel, and amounted to the torture of Allison Tenbarge as he stood over her and stabbed her at least 15 times, administering 30 wounds as she tried to protect herself and her unborn child.
“He took one life that was really just starting when he killed Allison and he took another life just weeks before it started. (To think)…what she must’ve went through as she laid on that floor,” Nash said, his thought lingering as he walked away from the podium.
Emotions swept the courtroom as the jury foreman read the verdict.
After court was dismissed, the family and friends of Tenbarge hugged and cried in sorrow and relief.
“This case was so tragic and cruel. The family is such a nice and amazing family and it’s terrible what they’ve had to go through,” Nash said. “We feel the jury made all the right decisions that they had to make. We are thankful for the care and thought that they put into this case.”
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Day 1- Quentin Bird trial begins, state describes ex-boyfriend stabbed pregnant woman 21 times
Day 3- Bird guilty of premeditated murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend, unborn son