the reduced sentence allows kevin coffey, who left his friends to die, a chance for parole by the second anniversary of the drunk driving tragedy. >> now it's just totally -- blown away. >> haley's father struggles with the fact he says justice wasn't served for his daughter and two of her friends, spencer and johnny. the high school students were killed when kevin coffey drove drunk last may in montgomery county, crashed the car and left them to die. >> when he left the car my daughter was still alive. and she lived for three hours after that. so le he left the car, she still had a chance, but he took that chance away. he made a decision that determined what her life was going to be, and he ended it. >> but mcgwire is not only grieving his own loss but for future families who may not see justice. >> it will happen again because this sentence, again and again, until someone realizes that you have to be personally responsible. >> legal expert jim says maryland's law can be more lenient in these types of cases when they get a second look by a panel. >> in maryland, you serve a fraction of

his name is kevin coffey. three of his friends were killed in that crash.rd jordan now in rockville with more on all of this. >> reporter: jim, this is a surprising turn of events but no one was more shocked than the family members of these three victims when they learned 21-year-old kevin coffey, his sentence would be reduced from 20 years to just eight. there were several supporters for the victims' friends and family members all wearing bright yellow t-shirts into court today. they went before this three-judge panel even the parents of each of the three young victims. they all said they felt the sentence was appropriate. coffey saying that he felt he was being made to be the poster child for under age drinking. he was just 20 years old when he got drunk in a car. he slammed into a tree in olney and killed three of his four passengers that were inside that car. he did make a statement saying he was regretful for what had happened. the parents of the victims say they don't buy his remorse and they are outraged. >> this sentence sends a message that the liv

the judge has cut the sentence for kevin coffey from 20 years to eight years with five years' probationlty to drunk driving for the crash that killed three of his friends and told the court today that he feels remorse for the accident every day and asked god why he wasn't the one who died. >>> coming up tonight on news 4 at 6:00 the national zoo says some of its animals died after some exams. now they're trying to figure out what went wrong. plus there appear to be no survivors after a fiery plane crash in pakistan. it appears bad weather was not the only problem. people are keeping a close eye on a very active volcano in mexico. those stories and more coming up on news 4 at 6:00. >>> when we come right back at 5:00 a new effort tonight to find a key witness in a murder case before the case goes cold. >>> police are asking for your help in solving a deadly shooting before the case goes cold. the victim was killed just after christmas in montgomery county. as tracee wilkins reports now police were back at the scene today conducting a new search for a key witness. >> reporter: 24-year-old

reduced kevin coffey's sentence from 20 years in prison to just eight.cutors say he coup eligible next may. >>> cab fares change today in the district. it will now cost $2.16 per mile. also there's no charge if you handle your own bags and only vans can charge the extra passenger fee for up to three people. no fee after the fourth person. >>> also new from overnight, a homicide in the district. >> police are investigating this case near the marine barracks in southwest washington. that's where we find news4's derek ward. he joins us live with the latest details. >> reporter: good morning. one man is dead and one in police custody after an incident here on barracks row at about 2:30 this morning. it was 2:30 when police got a call about a disturbance in the district. when police arrived, they found one man stabbed. he was later pronounced dead. police took one person into custody. we have no information about the identities of either. only to say they are both adult males. most of the bars were shutting down. there were lots of people out here and always

i pray for the best. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news4. >> kevin coffey we just mentioned just had his prison sentence reduced drastically. a panel cut his sentence from 20 years to eight years. the parents of those killed in the crash says the reduced sentence sends the wrong message. >> this sentence sends the message that the lives of our three children are virtually meaningless. >> if you're out there and you want to drink and drive, come here because you'll get away with it. and you'll get away with murder like this kid is getting away with. >> prosecutors say coffey could be free on parole as early as next may. i was at that hearing yesterday. it is really sad to see how one decision can have such a drastic effect on so many people. still a year later these families are trying to get over this. it's heart breaking. >> also families trying to spread a message. touching interview. >> yes. hopefully kids out there will listen up. >>> let's turn things over to talk about the weather now. >> yeah. and chuck bell is standing by in storm4 in our storm4 center. did you mention rain and m

released today of a judicial panel's controversial decision to reduce the sentence of drunk driver, kevin coffey. left victims seething with anger. >> the way the judge did it was so cruel. >> judge terrance mcgann acknowledged the grief of the families, but he went on to point out that the three victims were drunk, too. and said, quote, their ability to make good decisions was compromised. when it came to getting in coffey's car after attending two underage parties. mcgann layed some blame on a culture of underage drinking. kevin, an immature 20-year-old didn't produce this culture, isn't responsible for it, and shouldn't bare the burden of remedying it. why should he pay a price for a malady, which was in existence long before may 15, 2011, mcgann said. >> this message sends the message that the lives of our children were meaningless. >>> more fallout from the secret service prostitution scandal. republican congressman says a top agency official told him three more agents are being forced out. and two of those are resigning while the third is losing his national security clearance and will be

the driver, 20-year-old kevin coffey, pleaded guilt dwroy three counts of vehicular manslaughter andtenced to serve 20 years in prison. after the crash he ran away. police say he was still intoxicated when he was tracked down three hours later. three judge panel on friday will consider coffey's request for a sentence reduction. he says it will unfair and vengeful. >> i think by reducing sends the wrong message about drunk driving, seriousness of it, and the running away part. >> reporter: hoover says the judicial process made it even more difficult to move forward. >> we have to go through it all over again. i just -- i can't even believe it. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news4. >> debate is under way right now over whether to extend drinking hours in the district. jim graham is holding a public hearing to discuss mayor gray's proposal to push back the closing time for bars in the city. his plan would allow for an extra hour to serve alcohol from 2:00 to 3:00 in the morning on weekdays and from 3:00 to 4:00 in the morning on weekends. critics worry more time to drink will lead to more