David Thurby, 28, of Fenton has been sentenced to eight years in prison in connection with a 2021 vehicle crash that killed a couple and their 3-month-old boy, court records show.
Lacey Newton, 25, her fiance, Cordell Williams, 30, and their baby, Cordell Williams Jr., all of Bonne Terre, died in the April 13, 2021, crash in Byrnes Mill. The couple left behind two other young children.
In January, a Jefferson County jury found Thurby guilty of three counts of involuntary manslaughter, each one a the class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
On March 7, Jefferson County Div. 5 Circuit Judge Victor Melenbrink sentenced Thurby to four years in prison on each of the three counts. Two of the counts are to be served consecutively with the other to be served concurrently, meaning Thurby is to serve eight years in prison.
He was transferred March 13 from the Jefferson County Jail to the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.
After the fatal accident, Thurby was arrested and told a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper that before the crash, he had seven shots of Crown and water, and a preliminary breath test showed Thurby’s blood-alcohol content was .192 percent, more than twice the legal limit, according to the probable-cause statement in the case. In Missouri, .08 percent is the legal limit.
According to reports following the crash, Newton was driving a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix east on Hwy. 30 west of Upper Byrnes Mill Road, and Thurby, who was driving a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze behind her, failed to keep proper lookout and struck the Grand Prix from behind. Both cars ran off the right side of the road and struck several trees, and the Grand Prix became engulfed in flames. All three in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
The patrol reported that Thurby told a trooper he had blinked and the next thing he knew his vehicle was in a ditch, the probable-cause statement said.
Newton was wearing a seat belt and the baby was in an infant car seat. Williams was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol reported.
Thurby, who was not wearing a seat belt, had minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital before he was taken into custody, according to the report.
Originally, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Thurby with three counts of driving while intoxicated, causing the death of another passenger, each one a class B felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison; operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, a class A misdemeanor that carries a penalty of one year in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000; and possession of marijuana and driving without insurance, each one a class D misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500.
The jury convicted him of lesser charges.