Husband wants forgiveness for wife who killed their child

Eugene Kehoe said the judge was wrong in saying his wife made the decision to kill their son and hurt their other son.

It wasn't her decision - it was a result of mental illness, Eugene Kehoe said quietly after wife Michelle Kehoe was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday.

He said it's how mental illness is misunderstood and “what a stigma there is attached to it.”

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Eugene Kehoe made these brief statements to the media after the hearing. It took him a few minutes to decide whether he wanted to talk but when he did, his emotions were under control.

Michelle Kehoe, 36, of Coralville, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, 25 years for attempted murder and 10 years for child endangerment causing serious injury. The attempted murder and child endangerment charges will run concurrently with each other and those will run consecutively with the murder charge.

Michelle Kehoe, convicted last month in Grundy County, slashed the throats of her son Seth, 2, and other son Sean, 7, with a hunting knife in October 2008. Seth died from two deep wounds on his neck but Sean survived to tell police what happened that day when his mother drove him and Seth to a remote area in Buchanan County.

Kehoe came into the courtroom dressed in a red-striped jumpsuit and seemed to have tears in her eyes as she turned to look at her husband. Later, when she spoke before sentencing, she was crying and continued throughout the hearing, saying she was sorry for what she did and that she loved both of her sons.

Several family members and friends were in the courtroom but all remained somber and quiet.

Eugene Kehoe broke down as he gave the only victim's impact statement. His voice trembled as he asked for forgiveness for his wife. Sean lost a brother and his mother and “I've lost my wife and best friend.”

As he stepped off the witness stand, he asked First Judicial District Judge Bruce Zager if he could give his wife a hug.

“No you may not,” Zager said.

Eugene Kehoe looked over at his wife and then took his seat in the gallery.

Zager also denied Eugene Kehoe's request for written contact with his wife and for Sean to have contact with his mother. Zager left the no contact order in place, which is in effect for five years.

The judge also ordered her to pay $100,000 restitution for Seth's estate.

Zager said friends and family cites failures in the mental health and judicial systems but she received a fair trial and was diagnosed and received treatment. It was her decision to stop treatment. Many people don't get that chance, he said.

“Society has suffered overall because of your actions,” Zager said. “The community feels less secure because of your actions.”