CROWN POINT, Ind. (STMW) — A Gary man was sentenced to 121 years in prison Friday in the drive-by murder of a teen who was shielding his friend from gunfire in 2007.
Corey Smith, 28, was sentenced to 121 years in prison for the murder of Anthony Jolly, 19, and two counts of attempted murder of Jolly’s two friends, ages 15 and 19, who were with him, according to a release from the Lake County (Ind.) Prosecutor’s office.
Jolly and his two friends were sitting in a car in the 1400 block of West 16th Avenue in April 2007, when a gray Buick drove by, make a U-turn to pull up to their car, the release said.
Smith, the passenger in the car, opened fire and shot all three of them. Jolly shielded one female friend with his body and died in the shooting, the release said.
“I received threats that I would never make it to trial,” Jolly’s mother said in court Friday. “I made it. I would like to see justice for my son.”
The driver of the car, Brandon Hunter, 25, also of Gary, Ind., pleaded guilty to assisting a criminal and will be sentenced on March 19, the release said.
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