AKRON, Ohio — Dacarrei Kinard, the man who shot and killed 40-year-old George "Geo" Jensen during a road rage incident in Norton, was sentenced to 15 to 17.5 years in prison.
The sentence was handed down by Judge Kathryn Michael during a very emotional hearing Friday afternoon.
Watch the full sentencing in the player below:
Kinard, 31, argued self-defense during his trial. He was found not guilty of two counts of murder but guilty of voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises.
The deadly incident happened on May 17, 2023 on I-76 eastbound.
Jensen was heading home from work near S.R. 21 when several shots were fired from a black Camaro into his vehicle around 5:35 p.m.
Kinard sped away after the shooting, exited the highway and re-entered in the opposite direction. He was arrested about two weeks later in Columbus.
Kinard said Jensen cut him off, brake-checked him several times and attempted to force him off the highway.
Jensen's wife, Allison Kee-Jensen, asked Kinard to look at her when she addressed the court.
"I shouldn't have to beg for you to see that what you did was wrong. It's not up to me to make you a better person by cataloging all my suffering," she said. "I do not want you to rot in prison. I want you to grow. Meanwhile, I will spend the rest of my life waiting for Geo to not walk through our front door."
During the hearing, several other of Jensen's friends and family members expressed their grief and anger and called for the maximum punishment for Kinard. The maximum sentence would have been more than 20 years behind bars.
Jensen's best friend, Scott Keenan, drove by the road rage crime scene and thought it was just a car crash. At the time, he was unaware Jensen was involved and that had been shot and killed.
"I hate you Dacarrei Kinard. From the bottom of my heart, I hate you. Jesus may forgive you. I will never," Keenan said.
Kinard also spoke before he was sentenced and apologized to Jensen's family. His friends and family asked for the court's mercy.
"I'm very apologetic. I just wish I could go back in time and take back my actions," Kinard said.
Last year, Kee-Jensen told News 5 that Geo was a sweet, compassionate man who was quiet, loved caring for others and enjoyed fixing things.
She was worried when Geo didn't arrive home from work that day.
"There are also a lot of issues with a certain type of mentality that allows people to act so cavalierly like they can be the one who determines whoever lives and dies just because they have a device in their pocket that can shoot bullets," Kee-Jensen said last May.
