SLO County man sentenced for killing stepmother, injuring father. ‘I’m truly sorry’
The Shandon man convicted of stabbing his stepmother to death and injuring his father was sentenced Tueday to 30 years to life in state prison.
Justin Tray Buchanan, 34, was charged with was charged with murder and attempted murder after killing his stepmother, Kelly Buchanan, and seriously wounding his father William “Billy” Buchanan in their Shandon home on July 16, 2023. He also brandished his knife at his neighbor, Sergio Rangel, which resulted in an assault charge. Rangel used his own weapons to defend himself, and was unharmed.
The charges also carried three sentencing enhancements, two for using a deadly weapon — in this case, a knife — and one for inflicting great bodily injury.
Buchanan pleaded guilty to all charges, including first-degree murder, and admitted to the sentencing enhancements on Oct. 14, court records show. It does not appear he entered his plea under a plea agreement.
Buchanan’s sentence of 30 years to life in prison included 25 years for the murder and five years for attempted murder. A three-year sentence for assault was also imposed, but it will be served concurrently, meaning at the same time as his other sentences.
“The tragedy of family violence leaves a lasting effect on the entire family and our community,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a news release. “While this sentence will not bring Mrs. Buchanan back, it serves to punish the killer and to send a strong message to others that we will always hold offenders accountable to the maximum extent we can under California law.”
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Jesse Marino said he hoped Buchanan would use his time in prison to try to resolve the underlying mental health issues that caused him to murder his own stepmother.
Marino said the evidence reviewed in Buchanan’s previous court appearance made for “one of the most horrific preliminary hearings I’ve ever been a part of.”
“You said you turned into a monster, and I can’t say I disagree,” Marino told Buchanan as he handed down his sentence.
Security footage shown in court during Justin Buchanan’s preliminary hearing on Oct. 31, 2024, showed Justin chasing Kelly outside the house, tackling her, then making a stabbing motion with his arm seven times as Kelly screams for help.
In that same preliminary hearing, Billy Buchanan testified that he believed his son was possessed the night of the attack.
“His eyes went completely black, no whites in his eyes. I’d never seen him like that before,” his father said during the hearing.
Justin Buchanan has a history of mental health illness and domestic violence charges, court records show, including one instance where his girlfriend at the time reported Buchanan was “suffering from delusions and had threatened to kill her” and was taking medication for major depression with psychiatric features.
Buchanan was found incompetent to stand trial immediately after the crime and had a doubt declared into his competency again immediately after the preliminary hearing, though court records show he was not incompetent to stand trial a second time.
Victim’s family calls for justice
During the hearing, both Buchanan and Kelly’s family read statements to one another.
Kelly’s mother, Nancy Duckworth, asked Marino to seek justice for her daughter, adding that Buchanan’s sentence is nothing compared to the “life sentence” of living her life without her daughter.
“Nothing will ever be good or fine again,” Duckworth said, fighting back tears.
Kelly’s father, Richard Eliasen, also attempted to give a victim impact statement but was too overcome with emotion.
“It’s very difficult to explain the loss of a child,” he said. “I just can’t get it out.”
As the victim’s family delivered their statements, Buchanan began to cry quietly, averting his eyes.
Through tears, Buchanan asked the family to be “forgiven for my atrocities” that “condemned my children to a life without their father.”
He called Kelly a “thoughtful, caring person,” adding that he wished he could go back in time and stop himself from causing so much pain.
“I’m truly sorry for the horrific things I’ve done,” Buchanan said.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM.
