Advocates who are pushing for the governor to commute the sentence of a woman who killed her rapist in Lawrence 10 years ago will soon hold information sessions for the public.
Sarah Gonzales-McLinn was 19 years old when she killed Harold “Hal” Sasko, who managed Cici’s Pizza franchises in Lawrence and Topeka. A jury convicted Gonzales-McLinn of first-degree murder in 2015 without knowing about the abuse she endured, and she was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 50 years before she would be eligible for parole.
In unusual circumstances, Gonzales-McLinn’s post-conviction attorney and Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez agreed that Gonzales-McLinn should be resentenced, and her sentence was reduced to a minimum of 25 years before she’d be parole-eligible. But she won’t have a new trial, so there’s no chance of convincing a jury that she had killed to escape an abusive situation, as some advocates had hoped.
Gonzales-McLinn was 14 when she first met Sasko. He became like a father figure to her, and at 17, she moved in with him. But she testified in 2020 that he had “kept her in a drugged state of sexual and financial slavery for over a year from which she reasonably could not see a way out,” as her attorney wrote in court documents.
Gonzales-McLinn later told a psychologist that she would drink herself into a semi-conscious state when Sasko required sex, and if she tried to resist, he held her arms, Kansas Reflector reported. She estimated that he raped her two to three times per week for 10 months.
The judge who presided over Gonzales-McLinn’s trial would not allow the jury to hear evidence of the abuse.
“During pre-trial hearings, District Court Judge Paula Martin, let Ms. McLinn’s attorney know that Mr. Sasko’s character flaws — whatever they may be — were not to be discussed in front the jury. Ms. McLinn’s actions, she said, were on trial; Mr. Sasko’s character was not,” according to the clemency application filed in December 2022.
The state Department of Corrections’ prisoner review board forwarded a recommendation to Gov. Laura Kelly on Gonzales-McLinn’s executive clemency application almost a year ago, Kansas Reflector reported, but their recommendation has not been made public.
The Lawrence informational event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 20 at the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.
A second event is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library auditorium, 1515 SW 10th Ave. in Topeka.
The events are open to the public, but content will not be suitable for children, according to advocates.
As of Friday, Kansas Department of Corrections records showed Gonzales-McLinn’s earliest possible release date as Feb. 1, 2039 — just short of 15 years remaining.
Sarah-Gonzales-McLinn-clemency-application-rResources for survivors
If you have experienced sexual violence or trauma, please seek the help that’s right for you. There are many options available, and you don’t have to file a police report if you don’t want to.
Get 24/7 help in Lawrence: The Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center
- Call 785-843-8985 to reach an advocate, 24/7. (Consider saving that number in your phone in case you or someone you know ever needs it.)
- After an assault: What are my options? Check this page for detailed information about
- talking to an advocate,
- going to the hospital,
- making a police report,
- and/or talking to a counselor or therapist.
- On campus? Check this page for specific resources for the University of Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University, Baker University, Ottawa University and more.
Resources on KU’s campus:
- Contact CARE (Campus Assistance, Resource, and Education) Services: KU students can make an appointment online at careservices.ku.edu, by email, care@ku.edu, or by calling 785-864-9255. It’s free, confidential and voluntary to talk with the CARE Coordinator. All genders welcome. Read more here.
- Find more KU campus resources at this link. Specific information about sexual assault exams can be found under the “Medical Care” tab.
- Connect with KU CARE Companions on Instagram. (Note: CARE Companions are KU students in the Panhellenic community that offer peer support and info about resources, but this is not an advocacy service like others listed here.)
Domestic violence situations: The Willow Domestic Violence Center
- Reach the Willow for help 24/7 at 785-843-3333.
- Find more resources on the Willow’s website at this link.
More resources
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for 24/7 safe, confidential and anonymous domestic and sexual violence support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives that is culturally appropriate.
- National hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, and/or visit thehotline.org to chat and learn more, 24/7.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
More coverage:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Advocate hopes Kansas governor grants clemency in murder of rapist, but holds back optimism
Dave Ranney says few people disagree with his assertion that Gov. Laura Kelly should grant clemency to Sarah Gonzales-McLinn, who slit her rapist’s throat in 2014. But when he hears opposition, he asks, “Why don’t you tell me what you think was going on in that house?”
