The judge’s charge of consciousness of guilt was justified, the appeals court ruled, because Scharpf tried to avoid police and was found hiding in his sister’s barn.

EFFECTIVE COUNSEL

Scharpf’s final contention in his appeal was that he was deprived of effective assistance of counsel because he was incarcerated 75 miles away and his attorney had to drive two hours to see him.

The appeals court rejected that, saying he was able to talk with his attorney by phone and that at various times he was brought back to Essex County to be able to participate in proceedings.

IN DANNEMORA

At sentencing, Judge Richard Meyer said Scharpf’s lengthy criminal history included separate incidents of shooting someone in the leg with a shotgun, threatening individuals with a knife and a 3-foot-long metal pipe, and ramming one car off the road and another into oncoming traffic.

According to Department of Corrections records, Scharpf is serving his time at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.

He will see the Parole Board in August 2020.

— Staff Writer Lohr McKinstry contributed to this story.