Jason Burnett gets life sentence in Citrus Park double murder

CITRUS PARK (FOX 13) - Chaz Mason watched as Jason Burnett, the man convicted of killing his mother was sentenced to life in prison.

But it was hard for him to stomach the defendant's own words.

"He turned to the families of the victims he apologized and he hoped some kind of positive in the tragedy that had happened. To be honest, I couldn't even look at him. It was hard to hear him try to be positive after what he did," said Mason.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Samantha Ward didn't like it either.

"I don't know how you turn around and face that family and say that anything positive or blessing can occur out of your actions that day. Quite frankly, it's offensive," said Judge Ward.

Last week, Burnett was found guilty of murdering Chaz's mother, Nell Mason and her roommate, Fern Giddings.

Prosecutors say Burnett and his co-conspirator Gary Honish were looking for drugs, pills and money.

They say Burnett shot three women inside two died, the third survived.

Yesterday, Honish, who was the getaway driver that day, was released from jail after serving 1,645 days. He was all smiles. 

As for Burnett, Judge Ward handed down the sentence.

"You're adjudicated guilty sentenced to life in prison at Florida State Prison without the possibility of parole," Judge Ward ordered.

All that matters now for Chaz is keeping his mother's memory alive.

"My mother was a great woman. She would take the shirt off the back for anybody. In the end, that's what took her life, being kind to everybody," said Mason.