Emily Shane's Killer Rejects Plea Offer

Sina Khankhanian, the accused murderer of 13-year-old Malibu resident Emily Shane, rejected a plea offer from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday that included an 11-year state prison sentence. The proposal also called for a permanent loss of his right to have a driver's license.

If Khankhanian had accepted the offer, he would have had to spend at least seven years in prison, with a requirement that he serve 85 percent of his sentence combined with credit given to him for the nearly two years he has been in custody since Emily's death.

Khankhanian killed Emily in April 2010 when his vehicle struck her while she stood on the shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway near the Heathercliff Road intersection. The crash followed a 17-mile journey down Topanga Canyon Boulevard and up PCH in which the defendant drove in an "erratic" and dangerous fashion, multiple witnesses said.

He has been charged with second-degree murder. If convicted, Khankhanian would face a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison. A jury last month was unable to reach a verdict after an eight-day trial. Seven jurors supported a murder conviction. 

Prosecutor Marna Miller told Judge Katherine Mader at the Airport Courthouse on Wednesday that her office would not be making a better offer. Khankhanian was offered a 15-year prison sentence in December. Miller said she was willing to lower the number because of the driver's license prohibition feature in the new proposal.

Defense attorney Bradley Brunon told the judge his client would not accept a sentence of more than six years in custody. That is the maximum sentence for gross vehicular manslaughter, which is what Brunon said his client's crime was.

Emily's father Michel wrote in an email to Malibu Patch that he and Emily's mother Ellen "are determined to fight on until justice is served."

"Nothing will bring Emily back to us, but I know that a reasonable person will be able to determine the truth and hope that all the misdirection by the defense will finally fall on deaf ears," Shane wrote. "Even though the system seems broken, we have faith in Deputy D.A. Marna Miller to bring the case to light and show this new jury that this is a clear case of murder and that this man who has not only killed our daughter, but destroyed our lives and saddened the lives of many others, will pay with his time in prison."

Khankhanian's new trial must start within 60 days. He will appear in court for a pretrial hearing March 13.

Malibu Patch will have more information on this story soon.