Former WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was sentenced to 17 years in prison followed by eight years of probation for a fatal drunk driving accident.
Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Terwilleger requested the maximum sentence of 26 years in prison for Sytch, who she described as “a danger to society” because of repeated offenses, according to court records.
Sytch, 50, pleaded no contest Aug. 26 to one count of involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol; Driving with a suspended license resulting in death; four counts of drunk driving causing personal injury; and two counts of driving under the influence causing property damage.
Sytch was driving a sedan on March 25, 2022 that collided with a vehicle driven by Julian Fran Lasseter, who was stopped at a red light in the 100 block of North Yonge Street in Ormond Beach. Lasseter died from his injuries.
Lasseter’s vehicle was pushed into another one.
Records show Sytch’s blood alcohol content was between 0.32 and 0.36 less than an hour after the accident. That’s four times the legal limit of 0.08 at which a person is considered legally drunk. Sytch’s blood also showed signs of marijuana use.
Sytch told police at the hospital that she didn’t know she had been in an accident; She remembered making leftover burritos in her kitchen and drinking some vodka. However, she could not say how much she had drunk, records showed.
Sytch stood before the judge and asked for another chance. She talked about how she wanted to be a doctor when she was 16 and how doctors take an oath not to do any harm.
She said she did the opposite on the day of the fatal accident and caused harm to another person.
She listed some of the positive things she has done in her life by making people happy through entertainment.
“I fulfilled the wishes of terminally ill children through the Make-a-Wish Foundation,” she said.
She said when she was 20 she lost her father to heart disease. And she said her 87-year-old mother died while sitting in the Volusia County Branch Jail.
Sytch said she never had the chance to say goodbye to her mother, just as Lasseter’s family never had the chance to say goodbye to him.
At some point she turned around and apologized to Lasseter’s family.
She said she wished she could trade places with Lasseter.
“If I could bring Mr. Lasseter back and take his place, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Sytch said.
She said the death of her fiancé, Chris Candido, in 2005 devastated her.
She said she can make a difference by helping educate young people about the dangers of drunk driving.
Sytch’s defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Jessica Roberts, presented the testimony of psychologist John Fabian, who testified that Sytch had suffered several traumatic events in her life, including the death of her father and the death of former professional wrestler Candido earlier in the year 2005. Sytch had a relationship with Candido that lasted about 15 years, Fabian said. Sytch also lost a niece who died in a car accident, Fabian said.
Fabian also testified that Sytch had been in several relationships in which she was a victim of abuse. She was in a relationship with a police officer in the North East who allegedly beat her. She was also a victim of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend at the time of the accident.
Fabian did not mention the friend by name. But James Pente previously said he was her boyfriend at the time of the accident. Pente left the courtroom shortly after testifying.
Fabian said Sytch would respond to the chaos and failed relationships by “self-medicating” with alcohol.
Fabian testified that he diagnosed Sytch with depression and also noticed signs of bipolar disorder. He also said their brain’s executive function, which makes decisions and controls impulses, was impaired.
During cross-examination, Assistant State’s Attorney Helen Schwartz asked whether these problems were self-reported by Sytch. Fabian said yes, but also said that there was a report from a medical facility in 2014 that talked about depression.
Schwartz also questioned whether prison time, a long prison sentence, weight gain and the loss of her fan base and freedom could depress Sytch. Fabian said it could be.
Assistant Public Defender Larry Avallone, who also represents Sytch, called Dr. Jeffrey Danziger, who said he believed Sytch suffered from bipolar disorder. He said one reason he believed was that medication to treat her depression had not helped.
Danziger also testified that Sytch suffered from a very severe alcohol abuse disorder. He testified that alcohol addiction is not a choice made by the addict.
Danziger said Sytch continued to drink even though she suffered from pancreatitis due to alcohol consumption and was arrested for driving under the influence before the fatal crash for which she was sentenced today.