DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Inside a Daytona Beach courtroom Monday, former WWE Hall of Famer Tammy ‘Sunny’ Sytch was sentenced for the 2022 DUI crash that killed a 75-year-old man from Daytona Beach Shores.
In March 2022, Julian “Fran” Lasseter was inside a parked vehicle when Sytch’s car collided with Lasseter’s on U.S. 1 near Granada Boulevard. Sytch did not have a valid driver’s license at the time. During Monday’s sentencing, family of Lasseter took the stand and gave victim impact statements. Julian Lasseter’s daughter talked about her deep connection with her father, how his positive influence affected their family and how he helped people recover from addictions.
“He was at my kids games and concerts. He hosted camp for my kids and ironically WWE Smackdown events in the summers. His favorite role was being a dad and a grandpa. The anchor of our family of five. Life without him is something none of us could have ever imagined,” Whitney Lasseter said.
WATCH: Going Ringside LIVE coverage of Sunny’s Sentencing | Going Ringside Podcast
Front and center in the courtroom, was the fact that Sytch had three DUIs and was a repeat offender. In August, “Going Ringside” reported she chose to forgo a criminal trial and pleaded no contest. There is also a full episode of Going Ringside with Sytch’s background leading up to this point.
“I have done something horrible but I am so much more than the worst thing I have done. I try to think about the good I have done because when I think about the thing I did to the Lasseter family that day I feel regret deep in my soul.”
Sytch tearfully read a prepared statement that she regretted what she had done and wished it had been her instead of Lasseter. She said her life took a downward spiral in 2005 when her longtime boyfriend and fiancé Chris Candido, who also wrestled, died unexpectedly.
The defense presented experts to testify that Sytch was depressed, bi-polar and was self-medicating with alcohol.
After hours of listening to testimony and the defendant herself, the judge sentenced ‘Sunny” to approximately 17 years in prison with 8 years of probation. She was already given credit for 566 days incarcerated so far. Lasseter’s family when testifying said they felt the maximum allowed punishment wasn’t enough and she would be the age at which Lasseter died when she was released from jail if she was given the maximum of 25.5 years in prison.
“The defendant’s history of drinking and driving is horrendous. She was ‘Death On Wheels,’” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said about Sytch. “It was only a matter of time before her drunk driving killed an innocent and unsuspecting individual.”
“I am hopeful that today’s outcome will ease the pain inflicted upon the victim’s family and friends,” Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey added. “The hard work that the officers, civilian employees and prosecutors did to ensure that justice was served today is commendable. I am proud of the team that helped get this dangerous and reckless person off of our streets.”