An Aurora man with a history of domestic violence was sentenced to life in prison April 7 for the beating death of his girlfriend in Republic.
Greene County Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison found Shane Mackey, 49, guilty of murder in the second degree in January following a bench trial, meaning there was no jury.
Back in November 2020, Republic police responded to a “check well-being” call and found Racheal Sanders dead in her home, with Mackey present.
The officer described (in the third person) the condition of the home this way:
“He saw blood on the floor of the living room and the kitchen, which was to his left. He also saw broken glass on the floor, broken furniture, couches torn apart and furniture scattered in various places. It looked like there was a struggle in the living room and the kitchen.”
The probable cause document further states: “Almost every room in the residence had blood on the carpet, walls, doors, and door frames.”
The officer examined Sanders' body. Court documents state:
“He could see bruises all along her hands, arms, chest, neck, face and head. Both RS's eyes were extremely blackened. He observed multiple lacerations on Sanders' face and near the top of her head, along her hairline.”
According to court documents, Mackey initially told police he and Sanders went to eat at a restaurant. He said Sanders left without telling him and he walked home and found her beaten inside the home. He told police he tried to tell her to go to the hospital but she refused.
The officer noted: “A criminal history shows Mackey has been arrested seven times from 2002 to 2013 for domestic assault, once for domestic assault in the first degree,” which is the most serious of the four legal versions of the charge of domestic assault.
