Current:Home > BackFormer soldier sentenced to life in prison for killing Alabama police officer-LoTradeCoin
Former soldier sentenced to life in prison for killing Alabama police officer
View Date:2024-12-23 20:30:43
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — A former soldier has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing an Auburn police officer who came to his door to investigate a domestic disturbance.
Jurors returned the life sentence Thursday for Grady Wayne Wilkes after finding him guilty of capital murder of a police officer earlier this week. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of two other officers.
Prosecutors said Wilkes answered his door in 2019 wearing a military helmet and body armor and began firing at police who were responding to a domestic disturbance call. In court, Wilkes apologized for killing Officer William Buechner.
“I’m so sorry,” Wilkes told the court and Buechner’s family during sentencing, the Opelika-Auburn News reported. “I can’t put it into words. I can never make it up to you. I can never get him back. I’m so sorry.
WRBL reported that during the trial the courtroom listened to Buechner’s last words, which were captured on his body camera after he was shot. “Lord, please help me,” he said.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty.
“He intended to kill every single living soul that was on that porch,” Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere told jurors.
Defense lawyers argued that Wilkes is mentally ill and did not intend to kill the officer, news outlets reported.
Wilkes had been a member of the Alabama National Guard since 2010 and was the leader of an infantry combat unit at the time of the shooting, a Guard spokesman told The Associated Press in 2019.
veryGood! (17145)
Related
- Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced, could get up to 17 years in prison
- 127 Malaysians, suspected to be victims of job scams, rescued from Myanmar fighting
- Alex Murdaugh, already convicted of murder, will be sentenced for stealing from 18 clients
- Purdue is new No. 1 as top of USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll gets reshuffled
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- Rosalynn Carter lies in repose in Atlanta as mourners pay their respects
- UNC Chapel Hill shooting suspect found unfit to stand trial, judge rules
- Jennifer Garner Celebrates Ex Michael Vartan's Birthday With Alias Throwback
- Philadelphia mass transit users face fare hikes of more than 20% and possible service cuts
- Argentina’s right-wing president-elect to meet with a top Biden adviser
Ranking
- Martha Stewart playfully pushes Drew Barrymore away in touchy interview
- Audio intercepts reveal voices of desperate Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine: Not considered humans
- Vikings opt for caution and rule Jefferson out ahead of game vs. Bears for his 7th absence
- Pope Francis battling lung inflammation on intravenous antibiotics but Vatican says his condition is good
- Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell opens up about league's growing popularity, Taylor Swift's impact
- Plains, Georgia remembers former first lady Rosalynn Carter: The 'Steel Magnolia'
- Massive crocodile sighting: Watch 14-foot 'Croczilla' in Florida Everglades
Recommendation
-
Brittany Cartwright Defends Hooking Up With Jax Taylor's Friend Amid Their Divorce
-
Elevator drops 650 feet at a platinum mine in South Africa, killing 11 workers and injuring 75
-
Rosalynn Carter lies in repose in Atlanta as mourners pay their respects
-
Peru’s top prosecutor blames President Boluarte for deaths of protesters as political crisis deepens
-
Footage shows Oklahoma officer throwing 70-year-old to the ground after traffic ticket
-
UNC Chapel Hill shooting suspect found unfit to stand trial, judge rules
-
Minnesota Timberwolves defense has them near top of NBA power rankings
-
Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Weighs in on Ariana Madix's New Boyfriend Daniel Wai