A Racine man who fatally stabbed a friend in a drug-induced rage will be going to prison, but 32 year-old Scott Swanton will have a chance at freedom at around the age of 70.
In court Monday, Judge John Jude made Swanton eligible for release and extended supervision in about 40 years. Jude had the authority to impose a true life sentence for Swanton’s first degree murder conviction but he decided against it after noting that Swanton’s well-documented mental illnesses are treatable.
Swanton repeatedly stabbed 42 year-old Melissa Hansen in her apartment in Racine last year. Swanton's sister, mother and daughter found the body the next day.
Swanton and Hansen had been friends for a number of years. They shared at least one trait: Both had abused drugs.
In the days before the murder, Swanton, who lived at home and worked a string of low-wage jobs, was said to be on a spiral downward, unable to cope with his problems.
Swanton's last visit to Hanson's apartment ended in the stabbing death of Hansen, whom Swanton had once described as his best friend. Swanton then tried to kill himself, but was not successful.
Before sentencing Monday, representatives of both families addressed the judge. Hansen’s sister, through sobs and flashes of anger, pushed for a true life sentence, while Swanton’s mother said her son had tried hard to overcome his problems and had no prior history of aggressive behavior.
-0-