Virginia Tech's Jessica Michelle Ewing jailed for 45 years for killing classmate

A former Virginia Tech student has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2014 murder of another female student, who she brutally strangled after the victim wrote their lesbian fling off as an 'experiment.'

A former Virginia Tech student has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2014 murder of another female student, who she brutally strangled after the victim wrote their lesbian fling off as an 'experiment.'

Jessica Michelle Ewing, 24, gave detailed testimony at her sentencing hearing Monday of the evening leading up to the murder of 21-year-old biology student Samantha Shrestha.

Ewing started the night with high hopes--wearing a dress and bringing along wine and whipped cream--while Shrestha wore sweats and a t-shirt.

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'It wasn't my intent to kill': Jessica Michelle Ewing wept on the witness stand in Christiansburg, Virginia on Monday as she described the night that ended in the strangling death of Samantha Shresta in 2014

'It wasn't my intent to kill': Jessica Michelle Ewing wept on the witness stand in Christiansburg, Virginia on Monday as she described the night that ended in the strangling death of Samantha Shresta in 2014

High hopes: Ewing started the night with high hopes--wearing a dress and bringing along wine and whipped cream--while Shrestha wore sweats and a t-shirt

She told the court she was disappointed but that eventually Shrestha put on a dress of her own and the two downed a bottle of wine after having a 'whipped cream fight' and building a fort out of blankets, reports the Roanoke Times.

But the mood soon soured again after Ewing called Shrestha a 'spoiled bitch,' at which point Shrestha shot back that they were just 'experimenting' and that she was 'toying' with Ewing.

'I loved Sam — I couldn't believe she would say that I was some experiment to her,' Ewing told the court in Christiansburg. 'It hit me where I was most hurt.'

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And so Ewing hit back. Her cause of death would later be deemed as strangulation, though blunt force injuries would also be discovered on her head and body.

'I made the most horrible decision to cover it all up to hide it,' Ewing said. 'I wish I had just called 911, but at that point it was too late.'

Shrestha's body was discovered stuffed in a sleeping bag in the back seat of her abandoned Mercedes on February 10, 2014. 

Emotional: Rajshree Shrestha, mother of murder victim Samanata Shrestha, also testified at the eight-hour sentencing hearing on Monday

Emotional: Rajshree Shrestha, mother of murder victim Samanata Shrestha, also testified at the eight-hour sentencing hearing on Monday

Hopes dashed: 'I loved Sam — I couldn't believe she would say that I was some experiment to her,' Ewing told the court Monday. 'It hit me where I was most hurt'

Hopes dashed: 'I loved Sam — I couldn't believe she would say that I was some experiment to her,' Ewing told the court Monday. 'It hit me where I was most hurt'

In February of this year, Ewing entered an Alford plea to the first-degree murder of Samantha Shrestha. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence for a conviction.

The next day, according to prosecution, Ewing went to her regular Bible study class and told the host, a student named Erika Holub, that she murdered somebody.

'They were an EMT. They were a good person,' she allegedly told Holub. Shrestha worked part-time as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Judge Robert Turk sentenced Ewing to 80 years for first-degree murder and five years for transporting and concealing a body, the Roanoke Times reports.

She must serve out 45 years of her sentence before the rest is suspended. She will remain on probation for 20 years after her release. 

She could have received life in prison.

Experimenting? Shrestha’s boyfriend, Scott Masselli (left) has previously said that Shrestha and Ewing were experimenting with their sexuality

Experimenting? Shrestha’s boyfriend, Scott Masselli (left) has previously said that Shrestha and Ewing were experimenting with their sexuality

 

 

 

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