STROUDSBURG, Pa. — A man convicted of the deadly stabbing of two family members in Monroe County will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Lancelot Fortune of Stroudsburg was sentenced Thursday morning.
In July, Fortune was found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing to death his aunt Sharon Fortune-Fells, 56, and uncle Richard Fells, 54, in their home in Pocono Township in 2018.
Fortune didn't have much to say when he walked out of the Monroe County Courthouse after receiving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
"It's whatever," he said.
Before the judge read the sentence, Denise Lane, Richard Fells' sister, addressed the court. She tells Newswatch 16 that her brother Richard and his wife adored and looked after Lancelot like he was one of their own.
"They brought him to family functions. My husband would always talk to him, just chatting with him, and we just did not see this coming. You know, this was just so shocking to the family and undeserving of the two of them," Lane said.
Lancelot's father also spoke to the judge about how his son had a hard life and many mental health issues. Lancelot Fortune Sr. tells Newswatch 16 that his family doesn't speak to him anymore because of what his son did.
"They don't talk to me. They blame me, so, you know, it's a hard situation, but the next thing for me is an appeal. I don't think he deserves to be in jail. He needs to be in a mental institution where he can be more cultivated and come along."
While both families miss their loved ones, Lane says this sentencing is what they need to start to move on.
"It's just fitting for what happened to them. Like I said, it's not going to bring them back, but for my family and my brother Denis here, it's what we feel needed to happen. It's just we got to this point of closure."
The prosecution told jurors during the trial that Fortune's DNA was found at the scene and that the victim's blood was found all over his apartment.
Prosecutors said Fortune admitted to the crimes and how he drove to Philadelphia after to get rid of the evidence and kill his father.
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