An Amarillo man has been sentenced to 120 days in jail and receive 10 years' probation after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of the 2010 death of his girlfriend.
Michael Paul Buse has plead guilty to manslaughter for the death of Daisy Strout.
The Strout family was consulted by 47th District Attorney Randall Sims in reaching the plea agreement.
"Considering all the facts/evidence of the case and speaking with the victim's family, this plea agreement was reached with the defendant with the full support of the victim's family," Sims said in a news release.
Buse, 45, will only serve 111 days in jail. Then each Oct. 10, the anniversary of Daisy Ruth Strout, 26, for the next nine years will serve one day in jail. Buse will also pay a $5,000 fine for the second-degree felony.
Buse was sentenced in the 251st District Court.
March 2011 Buse was indicted in Strout's death. According to court documents, the couple argued in a Chevrolet Avalanche in the 1200 block of South Georgia Street. At some point Strout left the SUV and Buse ran over her.
Strout's body was discovered in the parking lot about 4:20 a.m. by police investigating an accident call.
The autopsy had showed that Strout's upper body was crushed. Tire patterns were used by investigators to match the tires of the SUV and tire marks on Strout's body.
Investigators were not sure, initially, if this was a homicide or a hit-and-run.
"She wasn't hit at a great amount of speed. Something makes us very, very suspicious." Lt. Gary Trupe of the Potter-Randall Special Crimes Unit. "We know what normal hit-and-runs look like. This doesn't have this indication."
Buse also made incriminating statements during two interviews he had with police.
"Was it intentional? Only the suspect can tell me that." said Trupe.
