A man who pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder in the April 2005 slaying of a rural Lecompton man was sentenced to life in prison during a hearing Tuesday in Douglas County District Court.

Leonard Price, whose nickname is Battle Axe, will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years. He will get credit for 816 days he has already spent in jail and prison on other convictions in another county.

Relatives of the victim, 77-year-old Clarence David Boose, said family members will do whatever they can to make sure Price never gets released. Boose was shot to death in his home when he interrupted a burglary being committed by Price and his cousin, Allen Dale Smith.

Price’s sentencing came one day after Smith was found guilty in the same case by a Douglas County jury. Price testified in that trial and said Smith was the one who fired the shot that killed Boose.

Boose’s daughter, Teresa Payne, of McPherson, read emotional statements from family members who couldn’t attend the hearing. The statements described the difficulties they have had in dealing with the murder. Payne also read her own statement.

“It’s a nightmare that won’t go away,” she said of the murder. “There’s anger and nowhere to put it. Why did this happen?”

Boose’s son, Philip Boose, of Fort Worth, Texas, also read a statement, saying that his father was a “true believer of the death penalty” for such violent cases. Philip Boose said Price’s criminal history showed a tendency toward increasing violence leading up to the murder.

He promised that family members would be at the parole hearing 20 years from now to oppose Price’s release.

Price sat quietly without showing emotion during the hearing. He declined to make a comment when given the opportunity by Malone.

Price made a plea deal in return for his testimony against Smith. District Attorney Charles Branson said that while it doesn’t absolve Price of his role, there would not have been a second conviction without that testimony.

Malone noted that Boose was in his home and not someone in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

“This is the worst type of crime that can occur,” Malone said, recalling only one other such case that he has been involved with.