Current:Home > reviewsPoinbank:New York man who fatally shot woman who was mistakenly driven up his driveway sentenced to 25 years to life in prison -Capitatum
Poinbank:New York man who fatally shot woman who was mistakenly driven up his driveway sentenced to 25 years to life in prison
Chainkeen Exchange View
Date:2025-04-06 01:21:04
A man who fatally shot a 20-year-old woman in an SUV that was mistakenly driven up his rural driveway in upstate New York was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on PoinbankFriday.
Kevin Monahan, 66, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Kaylin Gillis. Gillis was riding in a caravan of two cars and a motorcycle that pulled into Monahan's long, winding driveway in the town of Hebron last April while her friends were looking for another person's house.
The conviction had a maximum sentence of 25 years to life, which prosecutors previously said they would be seeking, with additional time for tampering with the murder weapon. The defense asked for leniency. Monahan declined an opportunity to speak.
"I think it's important for people to know that it's not ok to shoot people and have them killed for turning down your driveway," Judge Adam Michelini said. Apart from the wider deterrent effect, Michelini said it's important that Monahan remain behind bars rather than be free to harm more people.
Gillis' death drew attention far beyond upstate New York. It came days after the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City. Yarl, who is Black, was wounded by an 84-year-old white man after he went to the wrong door while trying to pick up his younger brothers.
On the night of Gillis' death, the group of friends were headed to a party when they accidentally turned down Monahan's driveway. Monahan came out of his home and fired two shots from his deck, the second striking Gillis in the neck as she sat in the front passenger seat of an SUV driven by her boyfriend.
Monahan maintained the fatal shot was an accident involving a defective gun and that he believed the house he shared with his wife about 40 miles north of Albany was "under siege" by intruders. He said he came out with a shotgun to try to scare the group away while his wife hid inside. Alexandra Whiting, a friend of Gillis', testified in January that the gun was facing them at the time of the incident.
Prosecutors argued that Monahan was motivated by irrational rage toward trespassers. One of Monahan's neighbors, Adam Matthews, said that he had become more and more upset in recent years at people making wrong turns into his driveway. It was established at trial that most of the friends did not notice the private property sign by the driveway.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts in January against Monahan for murder, reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.
Gillis' father, Andrew Gillis, has described his daughter as someone who loved animals and had dreams of becoming a marine biologist or a veterinarian.
"Every day we wake up to the harsh reality that that she's no longer here. We will never see her beautiful face, hear her laughter," Gillis said in court Friday before Monahan's sentence was announced.
Her boyfriend, Blake Walsh, was behind the wheel of the SUV that night. "I will never be able to forgive you," he told Monahan, who looked on with a stony face.
- In:
- Homicide
- Ralph Yarl
- Crime
- Shootings
- New York
veryGood! (23141)
Related
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Treat Yourself to a Spa Day With a $100 Deal on $600 Worth of Products From Elemis, 111SKIN, Nest & More
- Donald Trump’s Record on Climate Change
- This is what displaced Somalians want you to know about their humanitarian crisis
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Solar Energy Surging in Italy, Outpacing U.S.
- FDA changes Plan B label to clarify 'morning-after' pill doesn't cause abortion
- Tabitha Brown's Final Target Collection Is Here— & It's All About Having Fun in the Sun
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Apple iPad Flash Deal: Save $258 on a Product Bundle With Accessories
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- When COVID closed India, these women opened their hearts — and wallets
- Matty Healy Resurfaces on Taylor Swift's Era Tour Amid Romance Rumors
- Cyberattacks on hospitals thwart India's push to digitize health care
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- World’s Biggest Offshore Windfarm Opens Off UK Coast, but British Firms Miss Out
- Pipeline Expansion Threatens U.S. Climate Goals, Study Says
- Shipping Group Leaps Into Europe’s Top 10 Polluters List
Recommendation
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines
Obama Broadens Use of ‘Climate Tests’ in Federal Project Reviews
Get 2 MAC Setting Sprays for the Price of 1 and Your Makeup Will Last All Day Long Without Smudging
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
South Africa Unveils Plans for “World’s Biggest” Solar Power Plant
I-95 collapse rescue teams find human remains in wreckage of tanker fire disaster in Philadelphia
Authorities are urging indoor masking in major cities as the 'tripledemic' rages