Feb 12, 2007 By Jennifer Harr 2 min read

James VanDivner of Grindstone was sentenced to death by lethal injection today in Fayette County Court.

VanDivner, 57, shot and killed ex-girlfriend Michelle Cable at her Grindstone home on July 5, 2004. Jurors, who found VanDivner guilty of first-degree murder last week, deliberated less than two hours before returning with the verdict. In coming to that sentence, jurors found that aggravating circumstances presented by District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon outweighed mitigating circumstances about VanDivner’s abusive childhood and drug and alcohol use.

Vernon argued that in shooting Cable, VanDivner created a grave risk of serious injury to others and that his prior convictions, which stretch back 30 years, showed he had a history of violence.

Cable’s son, Billy, who VanDivner shot in the neck after killing his mother, expressed relief at the verdict.

“Justice was served today for my mother. She didn’t get a jury to decide if she died or not,” Cable said.

The bullet is still lodged in Billy Cable’s back, near his spine and cannot be removed without risk of complete paralysis.

In addition to the death sentence, VanDivner was sentenced to 20 to 40 years for attempted homicide and 10 to 20 years for aggravated assault. Both of those sentences related to Billy Cable.

VanDivner was sentenced to an additional 10 to 20 years for aggravated assault on Larry Newman of Grindstone. Testimony during the trial indicated he pointed a gun at Newman as he tried to help the Cables.

See tomorrow’s edition for more details.