WEST VIRGINIA : Gunman Gets Prison Term in Teen’s Death

A man who admitted killing a homecoming queen to settle a $2,000 drug debt and keep her from testifying about a drug dealer was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. James C. Pennington had pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder in the August 1995 slaying of Michael Ann Koontz, who was shot twice in the head. Last Aug. 23, she left home to run an errand and never returned. Her body was found two days later near a sewage treatment plant. Pennington testified he was ordered to kill Koontz, 17, by Robert J. Warren Sr. of Williamson, W. Va to settle a $2,000 drug debt. Officials say Warren wanted to prevent Koontz, a drug user, from talking about his drug trafficking.