Eric Rivera Jr., one of the five men convicted in the murder of former NFL star Sean Taylor in 2007 was sentenced to 57.5 years in prison by a Miami Dade Circuit Judge on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Rivera, now 23-years old, was convicted of second degree murder for the failed burglary of Taylor's house in Palmetto Bay, Florida, last November, according to the AP.
According to prosecutors, Rivera shot and killed Taylor when he and the four other men broke into Taylor's home thinking he was away playing a game against Tampa Bay, the AP reported.
The five men believed Taylor kept large amounts of money at home after one of them attended a birthday party for Taylor's sister where the NFL star gave her $10,000 stuffed in a designer bag, according to the AP.
Taylor surprised the five men by being home. He jumped out of the bed where he was laying with his girlfriend and then 18-month-old daughter when one of the attackers shot him in the thigh, causing him to die of blood loss at the age of 24, the AP reported.
Rivera admitted to shooting Taylor during a videotaped confession and was initially set to be charged with first degree murder, but Rivera later said he was forced by detectives to confess the crime, according to the AP.
Rivera testified in his own defense and said he was "coerced" into admitting the crime and that someone else in the group shot Taylor. Rivera also said he was just along for the ride and didn't even go inside, the AP reported.
Three of the other four men have pleaded not guilty and will await trial, the AP reported. One of the men pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving 29 years in prison.
Prosecutors said cell phone records tracked the group all the way to Taylor's house and also said the Nike footprints on the bedroom door which was kicked in were "consistent" with the sneakers Rivera said he was wearing that night, the AP reported.
After the trial, Rivera said he was sorry to Taylor's family for killing him and that he was "a good man," the AP reported.
"I live with his death every day," Rivera said. "I'm going to have to deal with the consequences."
