Kelsey Fairchild gets more than 27 years in prison in slaying, botched drug rip-off

Kelsey Lee Fairchild, 23, will be in his mid-40s when he becomes eligible for parole from prison for the 2015 killing of 18-year-old Colton Christenson, based on three prison sentences he received Friday.

Fairchild was sentenced to three prison terms totaling 27 years and one month in the killing of Christenson and robbery of Christenson and a second youth.

Shawnee County District Judge Mark Braun sentenced Fairchild to 16 years and 11 months for his conviction of intentional second-degree murder in the death of Christenson and 61 months for each of two aggravated robbery counts. The prison terms were the maximum possible for each count.

Fairchild was 21 when he was arrested and booked into jail in the Christenson slaying and robberies. With credit for the 18 months he has served while awaiting resolution of the case and if he were to earn all of the 15 percent “good time” available, he would be about 44 years old when he walks out of prison.

In short, Fairchild will have spent more than half of his life in prison by the time he is a free man.

On Friday, Fairchild apologized to Christenson’s family.

“Truly, I regret my actions,” he said. “It plagues my days and my dreams every night.”

Fairchild said untreated drug abuse was his downfall.

“It has ruined everything in my life,” Christenson said, promising he would climb out of the hole it created.

The judge on Friday also heard family and friends of Christenson, a Washburn University student, share stories about him as they told how much they miss him.

In one story, Christenson, who was employed at a pizza restaurant, delivered a pizza to a girl he liked. “Prom?” he had written with ingredients on the pizza he gave her. She accepted the date.

Two of Christenson’s older brothers spoke of their hopes for his future.

“I know he would have gone on to do great things in life,” Tanner Christenson said. “He would have had a successful career, been married to a beautiful woman, had multiple kids and been nothing but a valuable resource to his neighbors, coworkers and, most of all, his family.

“Colton was a very smart man who made a poor decision one January evening.”

Christenson’s grandfather, Robert Ramey, recalled teaching him to play golf beginning when he was 4 years old.

“I hoped he would make the golf team at Washburn,” Ramey said. “But you killed Colton before he had a chance, and you ruined all of our hopes he would be successful.

“I hope you rot in hell.”

Fairchild was trying to steal $500 worth of marijuana during a drug buy when he shot Christenson, who was one of two sellers and the driver of the car in which the botched drug sale was made, court records said.

Fairchild initially was charged with first-degree murder in Christenson’s death on Jan. 5, 2015.

But as part of a plea agreement July 13, Fairchild pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated robbery of marijuana from Christenson and a second youth.

As part of the plea, felony counts of aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm in an occupied vehicle and a misdemeanor count of drug possession were dismissed.

In the plea, prosecution and defense attorneys agreed Fairchild had a criminal history of one nonperson felony conviction; that both sides would recommend the longest sentence for each count; and that the sentences would run consecutively, meaning one after the other.

Fairchild was to buy 2 ounces of marijuana for $500, but when Christenson stopped the car so the purchase could be made, Fairchild tried to leave the vehicle without paying, court records said.

Christenson and the second youth struggled with Fairchild as they tried to keep him from stealing the marijuana, and during the struggle, Fairchild pulled a gun.

As he exited the vehicle, Fairchild fired one round back into the car, striking Christenson in the torso. The shooting occurred in an alley between the 1500 blocks of S.W. College and S.W. Mulvane.