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Shawn Exford Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for
Deadly 2019 Fire in Lowville
Published: July 01, 2025
02:00 p.m.
By: Julie Abbass, Independent Journalist, for
linkinglewiscounty.com
Shawn Exford, appears in Lewis County Court
for sentencing of Tuesday, July 01, 2025
Shawn
Exford Given 25-years in Prison for the Deadly 2019 fire
By Julie Abbass, Independent Journalist, for linkinglewiscounty.com
LOWVILLE – The final sentence
for the man who caused a 2019 fire, killing two village residents, was
pronounced in Lewis County Court this morning, bringing a more than
five-year legal process to an end.
Judge Daniel R. King issued two 25-year sentences in state prison, to be
served concurrently, for Shawn L. Exford, 34, in Lewis County Court this morning.
Mr. Exford will also have five years of post-release supervision --- a fact
he clarified with the judge after it was not included in Judge King’s
statement of the sentence.
When given the opportunity to speak, before the judge read the official
sentence, Mr. Exford said he was sorry for everyone impacted by his
actions, including people in his life.
“I realized that I was selfish… I do apologize for my actions and that
night, I think I could have made better choices,” he said.
Judge King responded that he “appreciate(s)” Mr. Exford’s statement and
taking responsibility, adding that he “sincerely” wished him well as Mr.
Exford left the courtroom.
Mr. Exford pleaded guilty in March to two counts of first-degree
manslaughter in a deal that removed the possibility of a life
sentence.
It also removed Mr. Exford’s new trial scheduled in June after the 2022
jury judgment against him was overturned on appeal at the end of last year.
The Fourth District Court of Appeals declared a mistrial because the jury
was not given specific instructions required for cases dependent on
indirect evidence requiring them to put pieces of evidence together and
draw conclusions by reason without direct proof of the connection –
circumstantial evidence.
In November 2019, a fire started by Mr. Exford killed two of the three
people in an upper apartment in a South State Street building: Catherine Crego, 58, and Saratina Kilbourne, 42.
No one was present from either of the victim’s families or representing the
only person to escape from the apartment, Brian S. Mushtare.
Mr. Mushtare died about six months after the
original trial.
Although Mr. Exford’s mother, who has actively supported her son throughout
the trial and previous court appearances, could not attend, his grandmother
attended. After the proceeding, she said she thinks “he has realized it is
what it is,” and that he needs to keep his head down, stay focused and move
on while serving his sentence.
Although he had already paid a $5,000 fine, an additional $375 court
surcharge was levied during the proceeding.
Mr. Exford will be given credit for the five years he has already served,
making him eligible for release in 2040, after 21 years served.
He was returned to county jail pending transfer to a state prison.
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