Adam W. Purinton, of Olathe, Kansas, was sentenced today to
life in prison without the possibility of parole for the February 2017 killing
of Indian national Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and shooting of two other men – Indian
national Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot – at Austins Bar &
Grill in Olathe, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant
Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Stephen
R. McAllister of the District of Kansas, and FBI Kansas City Special Agent in
Charge Darrin Jones.
Earlier this year, Purinton pleaded guilty in federal court
to hate crime and firearm offenses arising out of the shooting. At his federal
guilty-plea hearing, Purinton admitted in open court that he targeted and shot
Kuchibhotla and Madasani because of their race, color, and national origin, and
that he shot Grillot during an attempt to flee the scene of the crime. Purinton
has also pleaded guilty in state court to charges of murder and attempted
murder, and has been sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in state prison.
Sunayana Dumala, the widow of Srinivas Kuchibhotla,
addressed Purinton in her victim-impact statement: “My husband was more than
what you chose to address him as. Always kind, caring, and respectful to
others. Srinu and I came to the United States of America full of dreams and
aspirations. . . . Now, my American Dream – and that of Srinu’s – is broken. If
you could have kept your anger inside and spoke to my husband softly, Srinu
would have been more than happy to share his background and help you understand
that not every brown skinned person is suspicious or evil, but kind, smart and
contributing to America. Instead you chose to rage and bully in anger and when
you were stopped, you decided to take their lives. . . . [U]se the time that is
being given to you to educate yourself and inform others who are still out in
the open and stop them from killing innocent people as you did - choosing
violence over kindness.”
"The crimes at issue in this case are detestable,"
Attorney General Sessions said. "The defendant acted with clear
premeditation in murdering one man, and attempting to murder a second man,
simply because of their race, religion, and national origin. As a result, a
promising young life has been tragically cut short, and other lives have been
filled with suffering. Securing this sentence is important not only to the
victims and their loved ones, but also to our justice system and our nation as
a whole. I want to thank the FBI, our fabulous DOJ attorneys Tris Hunt, David
Zabel, and Christopher Perras, as well as our partners at the Olathe Police
Department for their hard work on this case. While we cannot undo the
irreparable harm that this defendant has done, some measure of justice for the
victims' families has been achieved. Such hateful crimes will remain a priority
for the Department of Justice."
"No matter who you are, what you believe, or how you
worship, you should be able to live without fear of becoming a victim of hate
crimes. We hope today's sentencing brings some closure for the victims and
their families," said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of
Kansas.
"Today's sentencing speaks to the gravity of this
senseless crime and reaffirms the FBI's continued commitment to bring those
responsible to justice," said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge
Darrin Jones.
This case was investigated jointly by the Olathe (KS) Police
Department and the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. This case was prosecuted
by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District
of Kansas, and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s
Civil Rights Division.
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