Fox Lake Man Sentenced To Life In Prison on Homicide Charge

(Juneau) A Fox Lake man who murdered his girlfriend and first cousin was sentenced Friday. In March, Laverne Ware Jr. was convicted by a Jefferson County jury on five felony charges including First Degree Intentional Homicide, Hiding a Corpse, Incest and Felon In Possession of a Firearm in connection with the December 2016 death of Sesalie Dixon. During yesterday’s hearing, Judge Brian Pfitzinger ordered Ware to serve life in prison on the homicide charge and set the first eligible date for extended supervision on December 4, 2076.

On the four other felony counts, Ware was sentenced to 18 years consecutive to the life in prison term and ten years of extended supervision. Even if Ware was to petition for release on the December 4, 2076 date, he would still be required to serve the additional 18 years in prison. District Attorney Kurt Klomberg said that he is satisfied with the court’s sentence. He said at the earliest, Ware will be 114-years-old when he could be eligible for release. Klomberg adds that he is confident Ware will not be getting out of prison.

Three individuals gave victim impact statements during sentencing. The first was Sesalie’s father, Stanley Johnson who told Ware he has a tough road ahead.

Sesalie’s older sister Courtney Johnson Kennedy also spoke and was grateful she was able to tell her sister she loved her the day she died.

Sesalie’s mother, Teresita Johnson, hoped Ware would never forget what he did and that she wanted his actions to eat him from the inside out. While holding a photo collage of her daughter, Johnson said that she wanted Ware to die in [prison] and hopes he never rests in peace. At first Ware choose not to speak but after hearing the victim impact statements he changed his mind. Ware said while he may be morally guilty on the Incest charge, he remains steadfast in his belief that he did not commit murder.

Ware fired three, nine-millimeter rounds into Dixon’s head on December 3, 2016. Her body was discovered inside Ware’s pickup truck at a home that was purchased by the defendant for his mother.