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COURTS Merlin Bound sentenced to 25 years for 2013 Ashland murder Bound, Campos robbed Frank Damiano for rent money Comment By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 7:25 PM By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 7:25 PM » Social News A Jackson County Circuit Court judge Thursday sentenced a 35-year-old Medford man to at least 25 years in prison for felony murder for his role in the 2013 killing of Ashland resident Frank Damiano. Judge Lorenzo Mejia sentenced Merlin Elmo Bound to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years — the mandatory minimum sentence for murder under Measure 11 guidelines. Bound was also sentenced to 90 months in prison for first-degree robbery and 45 months for first-degree burglary, both to be served concurrently with the murder sentence. "There's no excuse for it to happen," Bound told the court. "I'm disgusted with myself."  Bound looked down and exhaled sharply as District Attorney Beth Heckert read a letter from Damiano's ex-wife Linda Kennedy, who said she was ready to let go of her anger at his killers. "I forgive you, Mr. Bound," Heckert read. "From my heart, I forgive you." Bound had pleaded guilty to the charges June 1 following an earlier guilty plea by his co-defendant, Othon Robert Campos. Campos, who also received a sentence of 25-to-life, had agreed to testify against Bound at trial, which had been scheduled for July 21. Damiano was found stabbed to death in his Ashland home Oct. 10, 2013; police believe he had been killed three days earlier. Heckert said Bound, who was arrested Oct. 15, quickly admitted his involvement to investigators, saying he and Campos had planned to rob Damiano because they needed rent money. "This murder, when you look at it, was just so senseless," Heckert said. Campos fled to Vancouver, Wash., where he was arrested later that month by deputy U.S. marshals. Heckert said neither man accepted full responsibility for the killing of Damiano, who investigators believe was targeted for robbery because of his extensive jewelry collection. A charge of felony murder doesn't require prosecutors to prove who actually killed the victim — just that the defendant was committing a felony at the time of the killing. Heckert said Damiano was a very large man, making him a difficult target for one assailant alone. "It's the state's belief that it clearly would have taken both of them (to restrain Damiano)," she said. Mejia told Bound that regardless of whether he took responsibility for the killing itself, it was clear he bore responsibility for the events that led to it. "It did begin with the selfish, conscious intention to take somebody else's property by force," he said.  As part of the plea, prosecutors dismissed additional counts against Bound of murder and first-degree robbery, charges Heckert said represented alternate theories of the crime that would likely have been merged at trial. Mejia also ordered him to pay $3,251.22 in restitution. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471 or  [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 7:25 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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