A week after he was convicted in a decades-old murder of siblings in DeKalb County, Kenneth Perry has been sentenced to more than a hundred years in prison.
Superior Court Judge Shondeana C. Morris ordered Perry to serve three life sentences to run consecutively, plus another 100 years, after a jury found him guilty of rape, murder and other charges in the deaths of 46-year-old John Sumpter and his sister Pamela Sumpter, 43, at their Redan apartment in DeKalb on July 15, 1990.
“He must be held accountable and pay the consequences of his evil,” John and Pamela’s brother James Sumpter told Morris during sentencing, according to 11Alive.
John was killed that night, while Pamela died a couple of weeks after the assault, which allowed her to talk to police about the attack. Pamela’s rape kit remained in the custody of the DeKalb County Police Department for decades.
It was not until 2022 — when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation sent off the rape kit as part of an effort to work through a backlog — that Perry’s identity surfaced in a DNA database. Investigators used forensic genetic genealogy, known as FGG, to confirm Perry was a match to DNA collected in the rape kit taken from Pamela Sumpter following the assault.
The DNA matched an alleged rape in Michigan that was never prosecuted, but where the alleged victim had identified Perry as the suspect. Perry was then found by investigators living in Loganville, just a county away from the Sumpter’s home.
“I have no malice or hatred for Mr. Perry but he must pay the consequences for this evil, gruesome murder he committed. No one really wins in this murder, because I lost a brother and sister and no matter what we do, nothing will bring them back,” James Sumpter said.
Credit: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office
Credit: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office
The siblings’ mother also gave a victim statement during sentencing, describing John as ambitious and saying she and he shared a close bond, while calling Pamela someone with a wonderful smile and sharp mind.
“We can only wonder about the incredible lives they would have led if not stopped by your evil actions Mr. Perry,” she said.
Friends of Perry gave impact statements calling him a caring and generous man who used to work at a ministry to help others. Perry, who also testified during trial, briefly spoke during his sentencing.
“I would just like to offer my sympathy and condolences to the Sumpter family,” he said.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Shannon Hodder said Perry showed no remorse for his crimes and Morris needed to take his previous convictions, most relating to domestic violence, into consideration when sentencing him.
James Sumpter said it’s a no-win situation for all parties but at least they are getting some closure.
“The family just wants justice and due consequences for this evil murder and then we can have closure,” he said.
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