44 years, 7 months, 19 days: Decades old cold-case finally ends with killer’s sentence
Because the crime happened in 1980, Hanks was sentenced under the state law in effect at that time, which called for a 5- to 25-year sentence — and not under current statute, Bellendir said. But Barton County District Judge Steve Johnson “departed” from Hanks’ plea agreement and doubled the minimum amount of time he must serve.