Judge Emily Jipp says it was because of the ‘justice and mercy’ of a family that the man who killed their eight-month-old daughter in a fatal drunk driving crash would not be spending life in prison.
Terry Boss, 56, was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison last week for the April 2025 crash that killed Lucia Iris Seifried. Boss pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, according to court records, but in court, the judge said Boss pleaded guilty.
The case dates back to April 26 on Baseline Road near Base Line Lake in Allegan County.
“This case is about arrogance, toxic, unrelenting arrogance of a man who believed the rules didn’t apply to him and whose statements right up and through his interview with probation continue to be soaked in entitlement,” Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Winsemius said.
Winsemius says Boss went beyond drinking and driving. She says he and some other people started the morning with breakfast Bloody Marys, drove to the golf course where they continued to drink, took shots before they left the course, and continued drinking at a lake house. She says Boss drove to all these locations.
She says he then got back into his car, where he was nearly three times the legal limit “in defendant’s own words: ‘after having enough to drink to have a good time.’”
Winsemius says he was driving down the road in such a manner that people stopped to look at his driving, describing it as “flying, spitting gravel, and ‘hauling a**.’”
The Seifried family was in their yard with their dog, as the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) said Boss’s pickup truck crossed the center line and side-swiped another truck. That collision forced Boss to careen off the road and into the family.
I pray for this family, everyday! Their world was torn apart literally! I pray for God to wrap his arms around them and hold them tight! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
On the other hand I pray for this man as well, he also needs us to lift him up to God! It is only through the restoration of our Lord God that sobriety will come, Ipray he finds it. driving at 3X the limit is pure selfishness, and this sweet sweet baby paid the price. The arrogance though, my God, I would think he would be holding his head in shame and have some remorse! And then this family that he caused so much pain to went to bat for him, that is amazing and I think they are a great family! I’m just so sorry for their loss❤️❤️ May God Bless you all and “Hold you in the palm of his hand” for both families. His family will definitely feel his loss as well. Michigan had no “Good time” , also has Truth -In-Sentencing which means if you received 13.5 yrs, that it exactly what you will serve. My husband went to also for drunk driving, never hurt anyone, but i told him “It’s only a matter of time” , he received 4 yrs and that was HELL, can’t imagine waiting for 13.5 yrs, I know i couldn’t do it, putting your life on hold for that long is very over whelming. I will tell you PRISON saved my husbands life! He became sober and has remained sober 14 yrs.
Hopefully prison can at least keep him sober but doubt it would do much for his arrogance and definitely can never change what happened to the family and their pain and loss. I pray he finds forgiveness through Jesus Christ while in prison. His own family suffers loss as well….as a son,or husband, father, friend, co-worker, neighbor, etc. Everyone pays the price of not having him at home and in their lives. All are affected by that loss to a small or large degree.