NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The man who plead guilty to the homicide of a local dentist has been sentenced.
Kelly Michael Vance was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for killing Dr. Bill Trolenberg. Dr. Trolenberg was the lead dentist of Deer Park Dental.
In June 2019, Newport News Police, in conjunction with the Hampton Police Division, arrested Kelly Michael Vance. Vance, a Navy veteran, was initially charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with the death of 65-year-old Dr. William Trolenberg.
On June 19, 2019, police responded to the area of Huber Road and Jefferson Avenue in reference to a shooting.
Officers arrived at the scene to find Trolenberg, suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound, right outside his vehicle in the parking lot outside Deer Park Dental. Medics took him to a local hospital for treatment, but he later died.
Vance pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.He made a deal that if he plead guilty and confessed a motive, his charges would drop to second-degree murder. His motive will not be given until September 2.
The Trolenberg family sent News 3 a statement in response to the sentencing that reads, in part: "We take solace in the fact that the person who took William Trolenberg from his loved ones and the community he served will not be a threat to society for a long time."
