Kobauri Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Killing US Family
Malkhaz Kobauri, the 19-year-old Shepherd who was found guilty by a jury for murdering American couple Ryan and Lora Smith and their 4-year-old son Caleb, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Gori Regional Court.
The verdict was announced by Goga Kupreishvili, the judge of the Gori District Court, on March 27.
The previous day, all 12 members of the jury found Kobauri guilty of killing the US family and raping Lora Smith.
The Smith family lived in the town of Marneuli, south of Tbilisi, for seven years and they were well-respected members of the local and expat community.
By Thea Morrison
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