'American Idol' finalist Caleb Kennedy sentenced to 8 years in prison after deadly DUI crash
Former 'American Idol' contestant was 17 when he was arrested
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Caleb Kennedy, known for making it to the top five during the 19th season of "American Idol," was sentenced to eight years in prison for a fatal 2022 DUI crash, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Kennedy, 20, appeared in court in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Monday, where he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving under the influence where death results.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison with a $25,100 fine, with the sentence suspended to eight years with a $15,100 fine. He'll serve five years of his sentence with the South Carolina Department of Corrections and three in home detention, with credit being given for the time he's already served since his arrest.
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Caleb Kennedy pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence where death results. (South Carolina Department of Corrections; Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
Following his release, Kennedy will be placed on probation for five years. He's also required to receive mental health and substance abuse counseling.
Solicitor Barry J. Barnette, who prosecuted Kennedy, told Fox News Digital, "This case shows the dangers of vape pens to society." Barnette concluded the use of vape pens led to the death of Larry Parris, 54, the man killed in Kennedy's crash.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ryan Beasley, Kennedy's defense attorney, told Fox Carolina, "First of all, Caleb again wants to express his heartfelt sympathies to the Parris family. Caleb fully accepts his responsibility for this accident and hopes for healing for everyone affected by this tragedy."
Caleb Kennedy was arrested Feb. 8, 2022. (Spartanburg County Jail via AP)
"He’s got no record, and he was a minor when this happened," Beasley also told the Greenville News. "This wasn’t such an egregious act that you see most of the time, where people were drinking and driving then they hit somebody at night or going the wrong way down the road. This was a weird reaction from his prescription medicine and possibly THC."
Before the Feb. 8, 2022, accident, Kennedy was said by prosecutors to have been smoking marijuana with a vape pen. His defense claimed his Prozac prescription had been increased at the time and that he'd had a bad reaction to it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kennedy competed on the 19th season of "American Idol" but abruptly left after a video surfaced depicting him standing with someone who appeared to be wearing a KKK hood. (Christopher Willard via Getty Images)
At the time, the South Carolina Highway Patrol told Fox News Digital, "A 2011 Ford pickup was traveling North on West Murph Road when the vehicle traveled onto a private drive … and struck a building. A person inside the building sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision."
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Kennedy was 16 when he appeared on "American Idol" in 2021, earning his way to a spot as a finalist before abruptly leaving the competition after a video surfaced of him standing next to a person seemingly wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Caleb Kennedy was 16 when he appeared on "American Idol." (ABC/Eric McCandless)
"Hey y'all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise, but I am no longer gonna be on American Idol. There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way. I was younger and did not think about the actions, but that's not an excuse," he wrote in a social media post.
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Caleb Kennedy was in the top five when he left the "American Idol" competition. (ABC/Eric McCandless)
"I wanna say sorry to all my fans and everyone who I have let down. I'll be taking a little time off social media to better myself, but saying that, I know this has hurt and disappointed a lot of people and made people lose respect for me. I'm so sorry!"
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The singer finished the statement by saying he prayed one day he'd gain back the trust of his fans.