The former mixed martial arts and UFC fighter War Machine was sentenced in Nevada on Monday to 36 years in prison for the beating, kidnapping, and sexual assault of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and the assault of her friend, Corey Thomas.
Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver, 35, aka “War Machine,” was convicted in March on 29 felony and misdemeanor counts pertaining to the assault on Mack and Thomas. The prosecution had sought a conviction for attempted murder, however the jury deadlocked on that charge.
In his remarks to the court, Koppenhaver referenced Aaron Hernandez, the former Patriots tight end who recently committed suicide in prison. Koppenhaver said, “I should have killed myself by now. There’s no reason right now that I shouldn’t be in the dirt right now laying next to Aaron Hernandez. That’s 100 percent true.”
According to his lawyer, Jay Leiderman, Koppenhaver attempted to commit suicide in January, but has recently found God and wants to be an example to others.
In a statement, Koppenhaver said:
Not a day goes by that I don’t seriously regret all those things that I did. I was a very, very lost, very empty person. And to top it off, something’s not right with my head. Plain and simple. I’ve known that a long time and I’ve hated it. I’ve hated the way that I think. I’ve hated my impulses. Half the time, I don’t know why I do some of the things I do. And some of the times I do things and I don’t even feel like I did them until it’s already done.
Christy Mack, a porn actress whose real name in Christine Mackinday, became emotional when telling the court that she believes Koppenhaver still wants to kill her.
“I do know when he gets out, he will kill me,” she said.
Koppenhaver will be eligible for parole in 36 years. He will be 71 years old.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.