2023-06-08
Melanie McCarthy McNamara murderer threatened to slit prison officer's throat
Stage: Sentence
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: McDonnell is currently serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 16-year-old Melanie McCarthy McNamara 11 years ago. McDonnell will not face an extension of his jail term, as the courts have previously ruled that a life sentence cannot be extended for new offending while in prison because technically, a life sentence never ends.