DURANT — Family members of a mother and daughter who were brutally murdered recalled how family gatherings are now filled with sadness and wondered how someone could be so filled with hate that he would commit such a vicious crime.

Damon Lee Butler, 34, pleaded guilty this morning to two counts of first-degree murder for the January deaths of Vivian Pierce, 28, and her mother Rebecca Pierce, 56.

As part of a plea agreement, Butler was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. He was arrested Jan. 11, the day after authorities found the victim’s bodies in Vivian’s Section Line Road home in Calera. According to investigators, Vivian had planned to break up with Butler and, on Jan. 10, friends and family became concerned because they could not find her.

Butler answered “yes,” when asked by District Judge Mark Campbell if he wanted to plead guilty, and he understood that he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Two family members, Sharon Matheson and Kimberly Mullens, read prepared statements in court. They recalled that they were loving family members and Rebecca was a strong advocate for children in the county through her profession.

Matheson, Rebecca’s sister, said that Rebecca was the ninth sibling from a family of 11.

“She is also the seventh sibling to be taken from our family,” Matheson said. “Having lost so many others, you would think it would be easier now, but it never is. I believe you can become numb from the pain, but it doesn’t mean the pain has gone away ... I still have moments when I will start to pick up the phone to call her because she was always there for me when I needed her. I miss hearing her voice and just talking to her.”

Matheson said that Rebecca was a member of Victory Life Church from the time it started and that her life was a testament to her faithfulness to God.

“From the time I was told of the murders of my sister and niece, I didn’t really think about Damon ... my immediate response was to God and screaming, ‘I hated Him’ and how could He let this happen. But of course, God is always the one to get the blame. I knew as I was saying these things that God had nothing to do with this senseless crime.”

Matheson recalled seeing Butler during a previous court appearance and wondering how he could take Vivian’s life, knowing that she was the only parent of two children Blain, 5, and Kalyn, 4.

“It just doesn’t seem fair that Damon will have the freedom to see his children, even though he is guilty of slicing Vivian’s throat and beating Rebecca’s face beyond recognition,” Matheson said. “Where did such hate and violence [come from] towards two women who were so beautiful and kind to you?”

Mullens, who is Rebecca’s daughter, told the court she was there to honor the memory of Rebecca and Vivian.

Mullens said that Butler took their mother, who opened her heart to everyone, and her sister, who loved her children and was such a giving person.

“Every birthday, holiday and family gathering will be filled with tears and sadness, and will never be the same ... Damon, I don’t think you will ever begin to understand the pain you have inflicted on our family,” Mullens said. “It feels like a horrible movie, something that cannot be real or happening to us, but eight months and eight days ago, you chose to take the lives of two wonderful people, and every morning we wake up to the realization that this happened.”

Mullens spoke about driving to Vivian’s house that evening and seeing ambulances, police cars and fire trucks, knowing something was wrong but praying that they were fine.

“... standing in front of your sister’s house, dropping to your knees after being told there are two people dead in the house ... not knowing for six hours that the second person in the house was your mother, because the body was so brutally beaten beyond recognition ... your husband being the one to go into the house and identify your mother’s body and being haunted with that image for the rest of his life ... not being able to say good bye to them because you didn’t want to see the cuts, bruises, blood and broken bones they suffered ...” Mullens said.

Family members, Mullens said, constantly imagine the horror of Rebecca and Vivian’s deaths and know that they fought for their lives because they were strong women.

“One of the hardest things to deal with is knowing they were alone, and how they must have felt the moment they realized their lives were about to end and they would never see their families again,” Mullens said. “Knowing they were crying out for help, and we weren’t there to help, hold or comfort them.”

Mullens said the family may never know why this happened.

“But we do know you will never be free to hurt anyone else again,” she said. “You will have countless hours to think about what you’ve done to Vivian and Rebecca, and how much pain is in our hearts ... You have no right to have a moment’s peace.”

District Attorney Emily Redman said she would have sought the death penalty for Butler, and the plea was agreed upon because he accepted responsibility, and the family would have had to endure many appeals in a death-penalty case.

Butler then read a prepared statement, saying he wanted to stand up for what he had done and the hurt he caused.

“If I could go back in time, and if I could lay my life down to breathe life back into Vivian’s and Rebecca’s bodies, I would,” Butler said. “I am so sorry that I have taken their sister and their mother and I know that my words will never bring them back. I will never be able to truly express how sorry I am for the hurt I have caused. I can’t imagine the pain that your family has endured, and if I could change the event of that night, I would.”

Butler said Rebecca did not see what happened to Vivian and that they were good people who did not deserve this.

“I know that my use of meth during that time caused me to become a person that night that is not me,” he said.

District Judge Mark Campbell told Butler that, because the crimes were so depraved and vicious, he should be signing his death warrant, however, he recognized that the plea was in the best interests of the victims’ family.

“It is my contention that you will draw your last breath behind the walls of an Oklahoma penitentiary,” Campbell said.

Butler waived his right to remain in the Bryan County Jail for 10 days prior to transport to a state prison.