EATON — A man has learned his punishment for killing a woman with a machete.
It’s a feeling Madden Blume has had for nearly eight months.
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“I wake up, and I feel like a part of me is missing every day,” Blume said.
That’s how long it’s been since his mom, Leigha Huff, was murdered.
“It’s been there since she’s been taken away from me,” he said.
On Thursday, Blume came to court with a group of family to face his mom’s killer.
“It was definitely challenging, and it took a lot of emotional willpower out of all of us to be here today,” he said.
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Kenneth Brabant was scheduled to go on trial next month.
But on Thursday, he signed a plea agreement, admitting to charges including murder and attempted murder.
In June, Brabant charged down his Preble County driveway and swung a machete at a man on a motorcycle, and Huff, who was riding on the back of the bike.
The driver wasn’t hurt, but Brabant slashed Huff’s leg.
She was dead by the time medics got to another home, where the driver called 911 for help.
Brabant later told investigators he thought the guy driving the motorcycle was his daughter’s ex-boyfriend, who was harassing and stalking his daughter.
Brabant did not know the guy who was actually driving the motorcycle, or Huff.
“It’s sad to see reckless violence like this,” Blume said.
After pleading guilty, Brabant took a little more than 10 seconds to think after the judge asked him if he had anything to say:
“Just that I’m sorry,” Brabant said.
His sentence is 15 years to life in prison.
Blume says he’s going to put this behind him
“My mom was a symbol of hope,” he said. “It keeps me going even when I just feel empty and lost. I think about her, and I take a step forward and go about my day.”
Brabant’s first shot at parole will be 15 years from now. At that point, he’ll be 75.
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