Another Murderer was on Prozac

As seen in the Daily Citizen

Teresa McBride clutched tightly to a small colored photograph of her best friend Jana Moore throughout most of Friday's murder sentencing hearing for Shawn Michael Seiner. Tears welled up in her eyes as she talked about the loss of her friend of more than three decades and senseless murder committed last August by Seiner.

McBride said she was disappointed with the verdict saying 69 years was simply not justice for the death of a woman who had been her close friend since both were 13 years old.

“She was the kindest and best friend anyone could ever have. We were together nearly every night. I still can't believe she is gone,” McBride said.

After the sentence was announced, McBride said she appreciated the work of prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw, but felt a void in the number of years that Seiner will actually serve behind bars.

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Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw said he felt the sentence handed down - while it was less than the 97-year term he had recommended - was “well reasoned and fair.”

“It's a sentencing hearing involving the death of a truly innocent person. They (the friends and family) want what neither I or the judge can give them. They want Jana Moore back,” Holtsclaw said. “Seventy years in prison is a long time.”

He lauded the investigative and cooperative work in the case by the Indiana State Police, the Linton Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff's Department who worked quickly to make an arrest in the case in just over three hours after the murder was committed.

“They quickly worked together in a professional manner to make an arrest quickly in this case. They did a really good job,” he said after the verdict was announced.

Defense attorney James Reister argued for leniency for Seiner - citing a borderline personality disorder, major depression, and panic attacks as a reason he has been under treatment for the last six years.

He has been under mental health care since a suicide attempt when he was 16 and was prescribed Prozac to battle his prolonged bouts with depression. [...]

Superior Court J. David Holt was straight forward and blunt in his comments to Seiner prior to the actually sentencing. He said he didn't feel that age should be a significant mitigating factor in the sentencing by saying, “I don't think 21 is the age you should get a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

Here is a snippet from the original story of the crime:

He told police that he went to the Moore residence on Aug. 9 after he was called on his cell phone to deliver some marijuana that the “Moore Boys” had wanted to purchase for $5. When he got there, he says he was allegedly “jumped” and beaten.

Seiner claimed the attack stemmed from a physical altercation he had had several weeks earlier when he pulled a gun on Daughtery at a party, but never fired it.

Ironically, after the brief altercation two days before the murder, Seiner and other witnesses testified that the Moore brothers paid him for the marijuana and then they shared a “joint” with Seiner and a friend and then he left.

Several of friends testified that Seiner was very upset about being beaten and talked about “getting even.”

On Aug. 11, he went to the house again - this time intent on getting some revenge.

He stated, “I was going to kill them - all four of the guys who jumped me.”

“I just kind of snapped. They set me up. They beat me up. They could have killed me easily so I decided to take some vengeance,” he stated. “I didn't care. At that point, I made up my mind the night before they (the boys) were going to die that day. It was vengeance. It was pure vengeance. It was in my heart. I didn't care what anybody else thought.”

During the lengthy 2 1/2 hour interview with state police detectives that was videotaped, Seiner told several versions of what happened that day - and at one point implicated three friends as accomplices in the crime who he alleged had also shot Moore. In addition, he said a female companion had stabbed her.