The man who pleaded to killing former Emporian Mackenzie Payne will spend at least five decades in prison.
Sedgwick County Judge Jeffrey Goehring on Monday sentenced Dylan Barber, age 26 of Herington, to life in prison with parole eligibility in 50 years.
Barber originally pleaded to first-degree murder in February after Payne, a 2013 Emporia High graduate, was stabbed to death in Wichita on June 27, 2018. Barber had called authorities saying he had harmed his girlfriend before the crime was discovered.
As sentencing loomed in April, Barber moved to withdraw his plea. That motion was denied before sentencing.
The Kansas Department of Corrections says Barber was convicted of burglary in Reno County in 2015. He served probation afterward.
Payne, meanwhile, graduated from Emporia High School in 2013 and was a member of the swim team, qualifying for three events at the state meet during her senior year. She had attended the University of Kansas and was preparing to attend medical school when she was murdered.
