Man Sentenced to Life in Fatal St. Joseph Bar Stabbing

A man who stabbed a bartender to death at a St. Joseph bar has been sentenced to life in prison.
The St. Joseph News-Press reports Eliseo Hernandez-Sebastian was sentenced Thursday for first-degree murder of Terra Welch-Reents, who was stabbed in February after telling Hernandez-Sebastian to leave the bar.

Hernandez-Sebastian also stabbed James Cleveland, another employee of the Legend's Sports Bar and Grill. He survived serious injuries.

Investigators said Welch-Reents wasn't aware that Cleveland had already been stabbed when she told Hernandez-Sebastian to leave the bar.

Hernandez-Sebastian also was ordered to serve 50 years each for two convictions of armed criminal action and a life sentence for first-degree assault. The sentences will run consecutively.

Hernandez-Sebastian said in a statement before sentencing that he was innocent.