SALINE COUNTY — Almost exactly one year later, a Marshall man accused of murdering two Saline County residents in June 2016 has been sentenced to life in prison.
Donald B. Owens, 59, of Marshall, was charged in June 2016 with two counts of first degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and first degree burglary. He was held at the Saline County Jail without bond.
According to online court records, Owens entered a not guilty plea in September, but that plea changed Monday when he entered a guilty plea to four counts. He was sentenced to life in prison on both murder counts, plus 25 years in prison for both counts of armed criminal action.
Ryan W. Sanders, 35, and Bonnie Charlene Hupp, 83, died in separate locations June 9, 2016, as a result of gunshot wounds. The next day, Owens was interviewed and arrested.
According to court documents, the Slater Police Department received a report of shots fired just before 2 a.m. June 9 in the 800 block of Park Place in Slater. Sanders was found in front of his residence with multiple gunshot wounds and transported to the hospital, where he died.
Around 8 a.m. June 9, the Saline County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a deceased subject, Hupp, in a residence in the 30000 block of Nickel in Saline County.
Sanders was identified as the husband of Hupp’s granddaughter.
A witness told law enforcement officers they heard multiple gunshots and observed a white male, familiar to them as Sanders’ father-in-law, walking away from the area of Sanders’ residence toward his daughter’s home.
A short time later, the witness saw a white-colored van drive away from the roadway in front of Owens’ daughter’s residence without using headlights. The Marshall Police Department had taken a report around 7:30 a.m. June 9 that a subject’s white minivan was missing and that Owens, who lived in the subject’s home, was also missing.
“The witness said (Owens) had recently been behaving in an odd manner and making statements that his life was over and he hated Ryan Sanders,” court documents state.
Owens was interviewed June 10 and admitted to shooting both victims, saying he shot Sanders several times.
He said he killed Sanders to protect a family member involved in legal proceedings against Sanders. He said he killed Hupp after Sanders, based on a long-standing belief she was responsible for his divorce.
