Perhaps there were some compelling reason, that I am unaware of, to give that as punishment rather than a life-sentence for so heinous a crime.
At least he has to do a mandatory 22 1/2 years before he's eligible to be paroled.
Machete murderer handed 45 years
Drifter avoids a life sentence By Craig Kapitan - Express-News
Jurors sentenced Thomas Ahrens, a drifter who hacked a San Antonio man to death with a machete he bought at Walmart, to 45 years in prison Thursday.
Ahrens, 36, looked away, appearing annoyed, as family members of his victim, Christopher Duncan, addressed him during victim impact statements that followed the verdict.
“You have hurt more than just my family — you have taken the love of my life away,” Duncan's partner, Jason Woodward, told Ahrens. “My heart is shattered.”
The rest of the story:
