CANBY, Ore. -- Francis Weaver, stepson of infamous child killer Ward Weaver, was sentenced Friday morning to life in prison for the 2014 killing of a Grants Pass man.
Weaver was found guilty Wednesday in the death of Edward Spangler. He cried when he addressed Spangler's family in court during the sentencing.
"I know he was a good man, a very good man, and a good son,” Weaver said of Spangler. "That was never supposed to happen. I pray for you guys every day. I pray for his children every day.
The killing made Weaver a part of three generations of murder.
His stepfather Ward Weaver III was responsible for the 2002 deaths of 12-year-old Ashley Pond and 13-year-old Miranda Gaddis, both of Oregon City. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder in the deaths, along with attempted aggravated murder and rape in several other cases. He was spared the death penalty as part of a plea deal.
In 1984, his father Ward F. Pete Weaver Jr. was found guilty and sentenced to death for killing two people. He buried one of the victims under a slab of concrete, a crime almost identical to the one his son would commit 18 years later. He sits on death row in California.
The irony in the case is that Francis Weaver turned in his stepfather for the Oregon City murders. Francis Weaver was hailed as a hero and spoke openly about his role in the arrest of his stepfather.
"The whole thing just disgusts me," he said in a 2002 interview with Good Morning America. "I'd hate to even think that I was brought to this world from a man like that."
Police named two other suspects in the death of 43-year-old Edward Spangler in a reported drug deal gone bad. And they said Francis Weaver would also be charged with murder in the case, even though he was not the gunman.
Spangler's mother, Alice Spangler, said she believed the life sentence was appropriate. She said Francis Weaver may not have pulled the trigger, but he set up the drug deal and planned to rob her son. Weaver gave the gun to the man who shot Edward Spangler, his mother said.
"Everything was taken from us, no matter whose fault it was," said Alice Spangler.
Court documents show that the suspects stalked and later shot Spangler in the face while trying to steal 15 lbs. of marijuana.
Weaver's mother claimed her son was framed in an outburst outside the courthouse.
"There is no justice! Justice is not served! It's not right," she yelled after the sentencing. "They framed my son and everything. They framed him!"
Weaver already had an extensive criminal history including drug possession and several assault charges.
Booking Photos: Francis Weaver over the years