Onstott gets life; confession will be released

Update, 10:15 a.m.: David Lee Onstott gets life in prison.

TAMPA -- Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ronald Ficarrotta sentenced David Lee Onstott today to life in prison for the second-degree murder of a 13-year-old Ruskin girl.

Onstott, 40, also received a concurrent five-year sentence for failing to register as a sexual offender. He received time served for battery.

"By your own words, you pose a danger to the community," the judge said. "You are a volcano."

Kelly May asked the judge to impose the harshest possible sentence on the man who killed her daughter, Sarah Lunde, in April 2005.

"I just beg of you," she said, "Don't let him out. Please."

She said, "This animal has been let off time and time again."

Before he was sentenced, Onstott spoke to May.

"And for what it's worth," he said, "I'm sure she don't want to hear it, Kelly, you know, my condolences. I'm sorry."

The mother shook her head.

"No, you're not," she said.

After the hearing, Mark Lunsford, who came to court to support May, said, "another one bites the dust."

Lunsford's 9-year-old daughter Jessica was kidnapped, raped and murdered in February 2005, two months before Onstott killed Sarah. Jessica's killer, John Couey, now sits on death row.

May wasn't upset that prosecutors took the death penalty off the table for Onstott, a decision made after a judge threw out his confession.

"Life in prison is death," she said.

Earlier today, Ficarrotta ordered the public release of Onstott's murder confession to detectives, which was not given to the jury that found him guilty of second-degree murder.

The contents of the confession were not aired at Onstott's trial during the past two weeks because Ficarrotta had ruled the statement inadmissible. The judge said detectives had ignored Onstott's requests for an attorney during questioning.

An attorney for the Tampa Tribune argued today that the tape be made public, and Ficarrotta granted the motion. The confession will be released to media outlets today.

Onstott was found guilty Thursday evening of second-degree murder and battery, lesser charges than the first-degree murder and attempted sexual battery for which he stood trial.

Jurors deliberated for nearly 13 hours over two days.

Kelly May, Sarah's mother, arrived at the courthouse about 35 minutes before the sentencing.
Lunsford was there to greet her.

He said he had come to the courthouse to support May.

"How are you doing?" he asked her.

"Better," she said.

Return to tampabay.com later this morning to hear the confession.

-- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

[Photo: Ken Helle, Times]