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NY man who raped girl, killed mom gets life term

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A New York man was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for raping a girl and killing her mother after cutting off his ankle monitor and carjacking them last year.

David Renz, 30, of the Syracuse suburb of Cicero, was given the maximum possible penalty in Onondaga County Court by a judge who said he hoped the sentence would comfort the victims’ family.

“One day, you will face another judge,” Judge Thomas Miller told Renz. “One day when you pass from this earth, another judge will impose a harsher sentence for the absolute evil you committed.”

Renz had no visible reaction to the sentence and declined an offer to speak.

Earlier, a relative of the victim choked up as he read a statement about the toll the crime took on the family.

Renz pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and sex charges in July, admitting that he carjacked the woman and her 10-year-old daughter as they left a gymnastics class at Great Northern Mall in Clay in March 2013. He had cut off the electronic monitoring bracelet he was wearing as a condition of pretrial release on federal pornography charges. He strangled and stabbed the mother as she fought to stop him from raping the girl.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sex crimes and has not identified the woman to protect the identity of her daughter.

Renz was sentenced earlier this year to 30 years in federal prison for possessing more than 11,000 images and 1,100 videos of child pornography.

Federal authorities announced earlier this week that they would not prosecute Renz on a carjacking charge that could have brought the death penalty. If the U.S. Justice Department had decided to pursue the death penalty in its case, Renz could have withdrawn his guilty pleas on the state charges.

Relatives said they didn’t want the death penalty case pursued because it would have required the girl to testify.

Kathleen Renz told the Syracuse Post-Standard (http://goo.gl/1ZsG7N ) after the sentencing that she prays daily for the victims and was relieved to learn there would be no death penalty. Her son was living with her at the time of the attack.

Reading from a statement in court last July, David Renz described the crimes and said he did not “fully understand” what led him to attack the mother and child.

Police said he used an air pistol to force the woman to drive her car to a remote section of the parking lot, where he bound both of them and raped the girl.

The girl escaped after her mother fought back and shouted at her to bolt from the car. She was rescued by a passing motorist. Renz was captured nearby a short while later.

Among items found on Renz’s home computer were more than 500 video files and 3,000 images depicting young girls being raped, according to court documents.

Weeks after Renz’s attack on the mother and child, a report by a federal judge found that probation officers failed to do monthly checks on Renz that would have included inspection of the bracelet. Federal probation officers in Syracuse who were monitoring Renz were fired or demoted.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. 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But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. 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