A homeless man convicted in November for the 2019 murder of a Wichita woman who had been helping him was sentenced this week.
57 year old John Darwin Pepper was sentenced Wednesday to life plus 195 months in prison for the July 2019 death of 72 year old Rita Golden at her home in the 2700 block of East 10th. Police said Golden would occasionally help Pepper by offering him food and a place to sleep.
An autopsy revealed Golden died from a heart condition, but also suffered injuries consistent with smothering and sexual assault.
John Pepper’s sentences will run consecutively, with the life sentence for first degree murder carrying the possibility of parole after 25 years. The additional 195 months are part of his sentence for aggravated criminal sodomy. This means that Pepper would have to serve 41 years before he is eligible for parole.
