Lawyers for Chris Jones begged the judge for mercy, arguing he had a rough childhood, was mentally ill and – with the right treatment -- could do good things with his life if he were freed after forty years, but Judge Cheryl Higgins sided with prosecutors who argued the families needed a stronger statement from the court – proof that their children’s lives mattered.
She noted one victim – Lavel Davis Jr. – was shot and collapsed in the aisle of a charter bus. Witnesses said Jones then shot him again in the head. He killed Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry as they slept. Mike Hollins was shot in the back as he ran from the bus. He survived and told reporters it was his late teammates who gave him the strength to testify.
“In the times where I want to sit in bed and mope around and be angry and be sad and think about the past, they give me the strength from above to get up.”
Chris Jones had sobbed during a statement to the court – saying he was truly sorry. He told the judge he deserved life in prison, was now taking medication and would continue to work on his mental health and try to help people.
Hollins didn’t rule out forgiveness but said he and about fifty relatives and friends of the victims who had come to court all week got some measure of peace from the judge’s ruling.
“Just a little bit of peace that the man who committed those crimes won’t be hurting anyone else. Justice has been served for the most part, even though no amount of time on this earth in jail will repay or get those lives back.”
Under current law, Jones can be considered for geriatric parole, when he turns 60.
