WASHINGTON — A Montgomery County 19-year-old will spend four years behind bars for his role in a June 2015 crash that killed two Wootton High School graduates, and brought new legislation regarding underage drinking parties.
After an hourslong and emotional hearing, Samuel Ellis, a 19-year-old Gaithersburg resident, was sentenced to four years in a state prison — two years for each of the students who were killed in the crash that happened after the group attended a North Potomac underage drinking party. Another 16 years of prison time was suspended by the judge. In April, Ellis pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter.
Ellis had been painted as a callous and selfish teen by the prosecutor, Assistant State’s Attorney Mark Anderson, who quoted a jailhouse conversation in which Ellis said, “If it weren’t for this bullsh**t, I’d be having a lit time at the beach.”
Ellis justified the comment by telling the court that had he not made the deadly decision that night, his friends might still be alive. Ellis added that he didn’t know the jail phone call would come up in court.
Defense attorney Michael McAuliffe said Ellis’ comments should be seen as a frightened teenager trying to put up a brave front and be a tough guy in the face of up to 10 years on each count of vehicular manslaughter.
Anderson added that another snippet of Ellis’ taped phone calls included a claim he would come up with a “dank a**” statement at his sentencing that would save him from going to jail.
In addition to his time behind bars, Ellis was sentenced to five years of probation, during which he will be required to use an ignition interlock device on his vehicle. Speed and alcohol contributed to the fatal crash, police said.
As part of his punishment, the 19-year-old also is required to speak to high school groups about the dangers of drunk driving. Ellis will attend a drug and alcohol treatment program as well.
In June 2015, then-18-year-old Ellis was behind the wheel when the car he was driving hit a fence and slammed into a tree before ending up in the front yard of a North Potomac home. The crash led to the deaths of 18-year-old passengers Calvin Li and Alexander Murk. All three teens had just graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville.
A 17-year-old passenger was hurt but survived the crash. Ellis, who was driving, also was hospitalized from injuries he suffered in the wreck.
Alexander Murk’s dad, David Murk spoke at Ellis’ sentencing where he said his family still bears the pain of a lost son. He said that his son was cremated and that the ashes are kept in the family room of their home.
“They’re the first thing I touch in the morning and the last thing I touch before I go to bed,” David Murk said.
He cried as he detailed his grief, knowing he’ll never hear his son say, “I love you” or tell his mother, “Thanks for dinner, mom.”
He said Alex’s younger brother couldn’t bear to be left alone in the house after the crash — the sudden loss of his older brother, his mentor and guide, left their youngest son shaken.
According to court documents, Ellis had a blood alcohol level of 0.09 percent, which is slightly above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Police found cold beverage containers in the severely damaged car.
The 49-year-old host of the underage drinking party later pleaded guilty to two counts of allowing underage drinking at his home.
The case spurred legislation this year that would toughen the penalties for adults who host underage drinking parties or knowingly provide alcohol to teens.
