A person who fatally shot a 20-year-old girl in an SUV that was mistakenly pushed up his rural driveway in upstate New York was sentenced to 25 years to life in jail on Friday.
Kevin Monahan, 66, was convicted of second-degree murder within the loss of life of Kaylin Gillis. Gillis was driving in a caravan of two automobiles and a bike that pulled into Monahan’s lengthy, winding driveway within the city of Hebron final April whereas her pals have been in search of one other individual’s home.
The conviction had a most sentence of 25 years to life, which prosecutors beforehand stated they’d be in search of, with further time for tampering with the homicide weapon. The protection requested for leniency. Monahan declined a possibility to talk.
“I believe it is vital for individuals to know that it isn’t okay to shoot individuals and have them killed for turning down your driveway,” Choose Adam Michelini stated. Aside from the broader deterrent impact, Michelini stated it is vital that Monahan stay behind bars quite than be free to hurt extra individuals.
Gillis’ loss of life drew consideration far past upstate New York. It got here days after the capturing of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas Metropolis. Yarl, who’s Black, was wounded by an 84-year-old white man after he went to the improper door whereas attempting to choose up his youthful brothers.
On the night time of Gillis’ loss of life, the group of pals have been headed to a celebration after they accidentally turned down Monahan’s driveway. Monahan got here out of his house and fired two photographs from his deck, the second putting Gillis within the neck as she sat within the entrance passenger seat of an SUV pushed by her boyfriend.
Monahan maintained the deadly shot was an accident involving a faulty gun and that he believed the home he shared along with his spouse about 40 miles north of Albany was “underneath siege” by intruders. He stated he got here out with a shotgun to attempt to scare the group away whereas his spouse hid inside. Alexandra Whiting, a pal of Gillis’, testified in January that the gun was dealing with them on the time of the incident.
Prosecutors argued that Monahan was motivated by irrational rage towards trespassers. One in every of Monahan’s neighbors, Adam Matthews, stated that he had change into an increasing number of upset in recent times at individuals making improper turns into his driveway. It was established at trial that many of the pals didn’t discover the personal property signal by the driveway.
A jury deliberated for lower than two hours earlier than returning responsible verdicts in January in opposition to Monahan for homicide, reckless endangerment and tampering with bodily proof.
Gillis’ father, Andrew Gillis, has described his daughter as somebody who liked animals and had goals of turning into a marine biologist or a veterinarian.
“Day by day we get up to the tough actuality that that she’s now not right here. We’ll by no means see her lovely face, hear her laughter,” Gillis stated in court docket Friday earlier than Monahan’s sentence was introduced.
Her boyfriend, Blake Walsh, was behind the wheel of the SUV that night time. “I’ll by no means be capable of forgive you,” he advised Monahan, who regarded on with a stony face.
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