Izak Surface Sentenced to 40 Years for Brutal 2024 Murder of Lora Farley

23-year-old Izak Surface was sentenced to 40 years for the 2024 murder of Lora Farley and a maximum term for the attempted murder of a family member.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 12:14 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from WSAZ and court records.

A Decisive Sentence in Kanawha County

The judicial proceedings against Izak Surface, 23, reached a critical milestone on Wednesday as a Kanawha County judge handed down a lengthy prison term for a series of violent crimes. Surface appeared for sentencing following his December guilty plea to second-degree murder and a separate count of attempted murder. The court's decision brings a measure of closure to a case that began with a gruesome discovery in early 2024, highlighting the severe nature of the attacks perpetrated by the defendant.

The Death of Lora Farley

The most severe charges against Surface stem from the death of Lora Farley in January 2024. According to investigators and Surface’s own admissions, the attack was exceptionally violent. Surface confessed to striking Farley multiple times with a large vase before strangling her. Her body was later discovered by police wrapped in a blanket inside a residence located on Chandler Drive in Charleston. The brutality of the homicide led to a 40-year prison sentence for the second-degree murder charge, with Surface becoming eligible for parole after serving 10 years of that term.

Secondary Attempted Murder Case

In addition to the homicide of Farley, Surface was sentenced for a separate case involving the attempted murder of a family member. For this offense, the judge imposed the maximum indeterminate sentence of three to 15 years in prison. Surface was granted 780 days of credit for time already served while awaiting trial. He will be eligible for parole on the attempted murder charge in three years, though these terms are typically served in conjunction with or consecutive to the primary murder sentence depending on the final judicial order.