CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – William Roger Campbell, 66, convicted of the 2010 murder of his parents, was given two life sentences, to be served one after the other, in court Wednesday.
His adopted parents, Bill and Ina Campbell, were 82 and 81 years old when Campbell shot them execution-style in their beds in the early morning of Jan. 28, 2010.
Campbell claimed his parents were still alive when he left at 7 a.m. that morning, but the couple were creatures of habit. Investigation revealed that meticulous medicine log entries that Ina Campbell kept stopped abruptly on the 27th, and the morning newspapers that Bill enjoyed reading were still in the mailbox, dated for the 28th and 29th.
Campbell was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder on Jan. 20.
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Testimony from son full of anger
Shawn Campbell, son of the defendant, testified one last time against his father in an emotional victim’s impact statement.
“They were very loving and compassionate grandparents,” Shawn testified. “Growing up, life wasn’t always the greatest, but they were always there always by my side to help me with anything I needed. If I ever needed somebody to talk to, a shoulder to lean on, anything I needed, they did everything they could to help me as best they could help me. They’d do anything for me.”
“There is nobody walking the face of this earth that will have anything good to say about him (the defendant). He’s been nothing but a plague and just a virus to anyone he has ever been around,” Shawn said.
“I just want this court to be aware of the fact that the deep seeded hatred that I have for the defendant goes deeper than anybody will ever understand,” Shawn said. “I never had a relationship with my father and that hurt. Anybody who’s ever had him in their life has a horrible story to tell. And I hope that this court decides to put him away for life and that he never sees the light of day again. I hope for the rest of his life, somebody is telling him what to do.”
Campbell declined to testify or make a statement during sentencing.
Argument for tough sentence
Assistant District Attorney Marianne Bell outlined her argument to Judge Robert Bateman for consecutive life sentences, instead of concurrent.
“The state submits that the defendant is a dangerous offender whose behavior indicates little or no regard for human life and no hesitation about committing a crime where the risk to human life is high.”
The state submitted that five enhancement factors to consider.
- Campbell is a convicted felon, convicted in 1989 for embezzlement, and violated his probation in 1990 by obtaining money by a fraudulent check. Bell said this coincides with the motive of greed that the defendant had when he killed his parents.
- Bill and Ina were especially vulnerable because of their age. The Campbells weren’t in the best of health and took many types of medication.
- Campbell employed a firearm that he used to shoot both victims in the head – a .25 caliber handgun.
- The defendant expressed no hesitation to commit a crime when the risk of human life was at stake. “He waited until his parents were asleep, hooked up to oxygen, and executed them by shooting them in the head. Then staged the house to make it look like a burglary and try and fool everyone.”
- The abuse of the position of private trust. The defendant was trusted with taking care of his parents while he was in town visiting. “They trusted him to drive around they trusted him with their dog and vet.
“He murdered both of his parents. Two good people in this community. A veteran, a former officer, and a bailiff (Bill); and a homemaker (Ina.) And both of them had to die for him to inherit their estate worth almost $180,000.”
Bell also argued that Campbell has shown no remorse.
“The defendant still continues to deny responsibility, lacks any remorse despite the jury verdict he denies responsibility. So, the state submits he has no potential for any rehabilitation because he maintains that he did nothing. Essentially, your honor, this defendant has placed greater value on money than his parents lives and that makes him a dangerous offender with little to no regard for human life,” Bell said.
Argument for lighter sentence
Campbell’s attorney, Joseph Allen Price, pointed out that his client is 64, so he will spend his life in prison either way.
“At this point, what sentence the judge imposes, frankly consecutive or concurrent for that matter, will be a death sentence for Mr. Campbell,” said defense attorney Joseph Allen Price. “Being 64 years old at this point in time, if I’m right, he’d be 160 or 135 before he would be eligible for parole.
“Duplicating the sentences at this point doesn’t seem necessary. I think it would be a cruel and potentially inhumane punishment.
Judge rules for harsher sentence
Bateman ruled for consecutive sentences.
“The facts of this case will show that each victim was shot in the head, shot in a separate bedroom,” said Bateman. “The court calls attention to that and makes those factual findings to show that it wasn’t one event. … The court finds that based on the fact that the first victim was murdered in one room and there had to be a time period before the second victim was murdered in the separate room, that given the severity of the crime and the complete disregard for life for both victims, the consecutive sentences are necessary.”