College student receives year in prison for killing beauty queen and her best friend in boat crash a

A college student who crashed a boat after downing 10 beers and a tequila shot, claiming the lives of two individuals, has been sentenced to one year behind bars. John DeSelms, 22, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, please no contest in August to two counts of first-degree manslaughter after a May 2013 incident in which the boat

A college student who crashed a boat after downing 10 beers and a tequila shot, claiming the lives of two individuals, has been sentenced to one year behind bars.

John DeSelms, 22, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, please no contest in August to two counts of first-degree manslaughter after a May 2013 incident in which the boat he was driving crashed into a docked houseboat, killing former Miss Teen Oklahoma Rachel Nicole Swetnam, 21, and her friend William Lewis “Trey” Varner III, 21.

DeSelms, whose blood alcohol level was blood-alcohol level was 0.18 at the time, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, received a 10-year prison term, with nine of those years suspended by the judge.

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Crash: Rachel Nicole Swetnam(left) and her friend William Lewis “Trey” Varner III (right) were killed in May 2013 when a boat crashed into a houseboat they were on

Crash: Rachel Nicole Swetnam(left) and her friend William Lewis “Trey” Varner III (right) were killed in May 2013 when a boat crashed into a houseboat they were on

Jail: John DeSelms (above) was driving the boat and had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 when he crashed, and will not go to prison for one year

Jail: John DeSelms (above) was driving the boat and had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 when he crashed, and will not go to prison for one year

Rachel Swetnam Rachel Swetnam

Beauty: Swetnam was a former Miss Teen Oklahoma (above)

According to Tulsa World, District Judge Robert Haney told DeSelms, 'I believe it was a total accident.'

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Judge Harney also fined DeSelms $5,000, ordered him to pay another $5,000 for the victim’s compensation fund, and ordered DeSelms to serve 1,000 hours of community service.

This in addition to 14 years probation.

'He kept on saying, "It’s okay, It’s okay" when he heard the sentence,' said Clark Brewster, DeSelms attorney. 

According to a 14-page Grand River Dam Authority preliminary investigation, both alcohol and excessive speed played key roles in the crash, which occurred at Grand Lake.

Drugs did not play a role.

Sorry: DeSelms apologized to his victims' families after he was sentenced

Sorry: DeSelms apologized to his victims' families after he was sentenced

Following his sentencing, DeSelms openly wept as he walked over to embrace members of the victims' families.

'This has been the hardest 18 months of my life,' said DeSelms.

'I know there will plenty more to come.'

He then added, addressing the Swetnam and Varner families, 'It burns a hole in my heart to look at you guys right now.' 

 

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