NORFOLK, Va. — A convicted rapist found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of two women was sentenced in Norfolk on Aug. 30.
News 3 has been following the case against Michael Ebong closely since his arrest.
The 44-year-old was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in September 2022 for the deaths of Sheena West and Kelsey Paton, and for raping a third woman.
The judge gave Ebong the maximum sentence for the all four counts; he was sentenced to 10 years for the death of Kelsey Paton, 10 years for the death of Sheena West, life in prison for the third rape charge, and life in prison for object sexual penetration.
Prior to sentencing, Ebong took the stand and disputed the fairness of the trial. After becoming combative with the judge, Ebong was ordered to leave the stand and refused. Deputies attempted to escort him and he became violent. Five deputies had to restrain him and remove him from the courtroom.
The courtroom was evacuated for a brief time as deputies restored order.
On Thursday, Ebong's attorney, Tom Reed, emailed a statement to News 3 about the sentencing.
"Mr. Ebong has maintained throughout this two-year prosecution that he did not drug the victims, and that the Commonwealth's evidence did not prove how he could have done so," he wrote.
WATCH: Norfolk rapist Michael Ebong speaks exclusively to News 3 after being convicted
West died in November 2020. She was out with friends at a bar on Shore Drive and turned up dead at Ebong’s apartment in Ocean View after loved ones were searching for her.
Another woman in May of 2021 reported that he raped and drugged her at the same apartment on Hillside Ave. in Norfolk.
Later, in July of 2021, Kelsey Paton was also found dead at his apartment.
The two women died from fentanyl in their systems, but friends and loved ones adamantly say they did not use that drug.
Ebong denied sexually assaulting anyone but said he was sorry about what happened to the women.
During his trial, the surviving rape victim told the jury she met him at a bar and then doesn’t remember what happened. She said, “I woke up in a dark, little apartment and he was on the bed beside me.”
The victim said she was dizzy, had difficulty standing, was in and out of consciousness and felt like she was drugged.
News 3 spoke exclusively with Ebong during a jailhouse interview in September of 2022 after he was convicted, in which he denied sexually assaulting the women but again apologized for what happened.
Ebong continually refused to go into detail about what happened to the women at his apartment. He stated that he didn't want to say anything out of respect for them.
However, he did explain why he took pictures of them when they were not clothed and face down.
Detectives found the pictures on his cell phone during their investigation and they were used in court.
“I think it’s more of a male chauvinist pig mentality,” said Ebong.
He also went on to say that the men at the nightclubs where he hung out at also had pictures of naked women on their phones, which he says is why he took the pictures.
News 3 has been investigating this case and uncovered an extensive criminal history for Ebong. He has been charged with prostitution, extortion, grand larceny, assault, DUI and other charges.
Ebong was also found guilty of a misdemeanor assault after an employee at a thrift store accused him of slapping her butt while she was working in Norfolk in May of 2021.
The mother of Kelsey Paton, one of the two women Ebong was convicted of killing, filed a lawsuit against the Norfolk Police Department alleging it failed to investigate previous murders committed by the same man who killed her daughter.
She claimed in the lawsuit, filed in July 2023, that Ebong managed to escape incarceration for so long because his mother “held a position of influence within the Norfolk Police Department.”
Kelsey Paton’s family claims they received videos of their daughter’s killer carrying her body out of his apartment “as if he were a member of the Norfolk Police Department,” the lawsuit cites.
News 3 has done several interviews with the Paton family.
WATCH: Parents of two local women found dead in the same apartment months apart speak out
After his conviction in September, Kelsey's mother Kathy Paton told News 3 she was happy that Ebong was in jail, but she was concerned about how long it took for him to face charges and how previous cases against him were handled.
Ebong was set to be sentenced in December 2022, but his sentencing has since been rescheduled for August 30, 2023.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
