A Buchanan County judge on Thursday heard a murder defendant described as a “good man,” who did nothing to suggest he was violent “in any way.”  The judge heard the same man described as a “monster,” and “narcissist,” and a “coward.”

After an hours-long hearing, Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg ordered Daron Simpson to serve fifty years in prison for the shooting of his ex-wife Amanda Simpson, and the murder of her boyfriend Andrew Clary.

Online court records show 19 character reference letters were sent to the judge prior to sentencing.  The defense called to the witness stand a lawyer who has been handling Simpson’s child-custody dispute and his attempts to adopt a child.  Craig Ritchie said he liked Simpson, and called him one of his favorite clients.  He said Simpson was good to his kids and that “nothing whatever suggested Daron was violent in any way.”

Amanda Simpson had a different perspective.

“I refuse to give that coward any more power or control over me,” Amanda said during her emotional and tearful address to the court.

She listed her extensive injuries, her many treatments and their mixed results, and showed the judge her multiple, permanent scars. She called her ex a bully and a coward, who planned it out ahead of time, knowing his daughters were at home.

She asked the court “what kind of a monster does that?”

Simpson was found guilty in September in a plea agreement to one count of 2nd degree murder and one count of 1st degree assault for the attack at her home near Faucett in January of 2015. As part of the plea agreement, both sides agreed the maximum term for each count should be 25 years.  It was also left up to the judge whether to makes those prison terms run at the same time or one after the other.

Amanda urged that Judge Kellogg impose the maximum, consecutive sentences, saying she feared that if Daron ever gets out of prison, he will come back to harm her and their daughters.

“I fully believe he will hunt me down and finish the job,” she told the judge.  “Please deny that monster the life that he took away from my beloved Andrew.”

Simpson insists he does not remember his actions that night.  Investigators say he rammed his truck through her garage door, picked the lock on the door into the house with a bobby pin,  and then entered her bedroom, shooting and killing Clary and then firing on his ex-wife.

Simpson told the court he was sorry for his actions, saying he will carry forever a burden of loss.  He says he is broken by the pain he has caused.  He asked the judge for a second chance.

The judge ruled that out, saying the defendant had already avoided a life prison term by accepting the plea bargain.  Judge Kellogg ordered Simpson to serve 50 years, 25 years on each count in consecutive sentences.  He also ordered Simpson to pay more than $13,000 to a victim compensation fund to help cover medical bills and other expenses Amanda has incurred since the shooting.