Man sentenced in death of Bunn teen

Elvira Hernandez, 17, had gotten off the bus from school, when authorities said, Christopher Steven Thomas, of Louisburg, shot her in May 2007. She died on the steps of her home.

Hernandez shared the home with the couple's young son and her aunt. They were inside the house at the time. When Thomas could not get inside, that is when he turned the gun on himself, authorities said.

Thomas pleaded guilty to second degree murder and two counts of second degree kidnapping, his attorney Boyd Sturges said.

Prosecutors said Thomas' suicide attempt, which left him with half his face shot off, was what kept them from seeking life in prison.