Crime and Courts

Woman sentenced to prison for murdering husband and his girlfriend

Posted: Mar 1, 2013 4:55 PM by Melissa Anderson - MTN News

HELENA - Convicted murderer Michelle Gable will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars for killing her husband and his girlfriend.

Gable was sentenced to 100 years on each count, to be run consecutively, and she won't be parole eligible for 50 years.

Gable, 49, pleaded tearfully with Judge Kathy Seeley, asking to be placed in the Warm Springs state hospital instead of the state women's prison.

She also asked for the minimum sentence of 10 years.

"I cannot stop the daymares, the nightmares, the voices, the rumination, the anguish, the crying, the reliving 'what if's,' the loss to grief," Gable said.

The judge replied, "Crying and feeling sorry for yourself is not a defense. Your chemical sensitivities are not a defense. There is medical care available at the prison."

In addition to her prison sentence, Gable was ordered to pay restitution and court-related costs in excess of $56,000.

In January, Gable has been found guilty on two counts of deliberate homicide in the deaths of Joe Gable and Sunday Bennett who she was accused of shooting and killing in October 2011.

As the verdict was read on Wednesday night, Gable's face revealed little trace of emotion.

Gable later said she only wanted to talk to her husband, despite bringing guns into the apartment and hiding them early that October morning. A total of 17 shots were fired that day. At least two of those shots went directly into Joe Gable's arm and chest and an estimated six others struck Bennett. The prosecution demonstrated that Gable had to reload to fire more shots.