A Pierce County man who killed his ex-wife during a counseling session at a Federal Way church three years ago was sentenced this morning to 28 1/2 years in prison.
Charles Parsons, 44, pleaded guilty in April to first-degree murder. He faced a sentence range of 22 to 28 ½ years in prison and prosecutors recommended 28 1/2 years
According to police and prosecutors, Parsons and his wife, Carol Parsons, 38, had been married for 12 years before the couple divorced in 2009. Charles Parsons had hopes of reconciliation, but his ex-wife had moved on and was dating another man, charging documents alleged.
When the counseling session began at Calvary Lutheran Church in Federal Way on March 17, 2010, Parsons allegedly said they were going to “get down to the nitty-gritty today” and then asked his ex-wife whether she planned to continue dating her boyfriend, court documents allege.
When she said yes and refused to end the relationship, Charles Parsons walked across the room and retrieved a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun from the pocket of his coat, court documents allege. He fired the weapon six times, according to court documents, striking Carol Parsons five times.
Charles Parsons, of Lakewood, then left the church, called 911 and told emergency dispatchers what he’d done, police said. He placed the gun on the hood of his truck, then lay down on the ground until police arrived, according to police.
The couple had three children.