DeKalb family furious that son’s killer will serve just 1 year
A DeKalb County family is upset over the sentence a judge gave the man convicted of shooting their loved one in the back and killing him.The gunman who killed him will serve one year.Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was at the DeKalb County Courthouse on Friday where Josiah Gilbert, 31, learned his fate.According to the victim’s family, Marcus Mitchell, 20, wasn’t the person breaking into cars in June 2017, but because Gilbert thought he was, he shot Mitchell in the back.[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]Now, the family says the justice they have waited six years for will never come.“Y’all took a shining star. He was bright and he deserved to be here and he deserved to grow,” Marlisha Mitchell, the victim’s sister said at Friday’s sentencing hearing.Gilbert was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm last month.The family asked the judge to sentence Gilbert to 25 years.“It’s not easy for me. It’s not easy for my family to
A DeKalb County family is upset over the sentence a judge gave the man convicted of shooting their loved one in the back and killing him.
The gunman who killed him will serve one year.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was at the DeKalb County Courthouse on Friday where Josiah Gilbert, 31, learned his fate.
According to the victim’s family, Marcus Mitchell, 20, wasn’t the person breaking into cars in June 2017, but because Gilbert thought he was, he shot Mitchell in the back.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Now, the family says the justice they have waited six years for will never come.
“Y’all took a shining star. He was bright and he deserved to be here and he deserved to grow,” Marlisha Mitchell, the victim’s sister said at Friday’s sentencing hearing.
Gilbert was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm last month.
The family asked the judge to sentence Gilbert to 25 years.
“It’s not easy for me. It’s not easy for my family to walk around without the person who belongs here. He took care of all of us,” Marlisha Mitchell said.
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Marcus Mitchell’s grandmother cried and said she’ll never hear her grandson’s laugh again. She also understands that this is a loss for both families.
“I would like to keep the Gilbert family in my prayers for the long haul because of this ordeal because the time and cost will start to take a toll on his whole family and I feel like you buried your son too,” she said.
Gilbert also spoke to the courtroom before learning his fate.
“I just want to express my deepest sincerity and condolences to the family and everybody involved in the incident and of course with the benefit of hindsight – I wish things would’ve transpired differently,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert has not served time for the killing because he has been out on bond for six years and will serve nine years of probation.
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