BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- Blanche Haynes McCoy was having an especially difficult day. She was in court Wednesday for the sentencing of her son's killer. It also happened to be her son's birthday. Reginald McCoy, a single father with two children, would have turned 35 on Wednesday, his mother told the court. Those children are struggling, she said. Plea deal reached in 2020 homicide "How much is a man's life worth?" Blanche McCoy asked repeatedly. Judge John Oglesby acknowledged that's a difficult question to answer -- but the law supplies guidelines. Ultimately, he sentenced Dashaun Hunter to 15 years to life in prison, plus 10 years. Oglesby said he balanced several factors, among them that Hunter had a family of his own and gainfully employed at the time of the killing. He could have imposed an even lengthier sentence. Never miss a story - Make KGET.com your homepage Earlier this year, Hunter, 36, was found guilty of murder in the shooting death of McCoy on Feb. 20, 2021. Prosecutor Samantha Allen said at trial Hunter learned about his wife’s relationship with McCoy and went to his home. Hunter called his wife and was on FaceTime with her when he fired seven rounds into her lover, Allen said. She said his DNA was found on shell casings recovered at the scene, and cellphone records placed him in the area of McCoy’s home when the shooting occurred. Defense lawyer Tony Lidgett argued at trial the wife may have been the killer. On the day of the shooting, Lidgett said, the wife ran to a neighbor for help as McCoy chased her. She had a black eye. Lidgett said she may have later shot McCoy out of anger, fear or in self-defense. Man gets 40 to life for deadly shooting outside Lamont bar Before sentencing, Lidgett spoke of texts between Hunter and his wife in which she said she was kidnapped and beaten by McCoy. If his client was the shooter, Lidgett said, he did it to protect her. "As a man you have to protect," he said. "That is what we do." Lidgett noted the shots were fired at McCoy's lower body, indicating there wasn't an intent to kill. This article will be updated.