Life sentence in slaying of Kansas bride on her wedding day

A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of a Kansas bride as she left her reception in her wedding gown.

Thirty-nine-year-old Thomas Earl Brown Jr. of Topeka was sentenced Tuesday for premeditated first-degree murder in the May 2014 death of 42-year-old Tiffany Davenport-Ray and the attempted murder of her husband, Melvin Ray.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that under the sentence, he must serve at least 71 years and five months.

Prosecutors say shots were fired at the Topeka newlyweds from a sport-utility vehicle in which Brown and two others were riding. Prosecutors say Melvin Ray returned fire but wasn’t wounded.

Co-defendant Awnterio Dwan Lowery has also been sentenced to life in prison. The third SUV occupant was later killed.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Life sentence in slaying of Kansas bride on her wedding day."