A New York man was found guilty of the fatal shooting of a woman who had mistakenly driven up his driveway in April last year.
The defendant, identified as Kevin Monahan, was convicted of second-degree murder on Tuesday for the death of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis. On the night of Apr. 15, 2023, Monahan opened fire with his .20-gauge shotgun, releasing two shots, one of which struck the car that the victim was driving.
Gillis was hit in the neck and lost her life soon after. The confrontation occurred as the victim and a group of six friends were trying to find a friend's house for a Saturday night party when they drove up Monahan's half-mile-long driveway located in the rural town of Hebron, New York.
The trial over the incident lasted for two weeks and included testimony from the 66-year-old defendant who said that the fatal shot was accidental. He said that his gun spontaneously fired after he tripped on his porch, as per the New York Times.
He also said that he initially fired a warning shot after seeing a caravan of two cars and a motorcycle arrive at his house at night. Monahan's lawyers described him as "an old man" who had been asleep and was terrified when "a group of marauders" had come to attack him and his wife, Jinx, who was hiding inside their home and was also armed with a gun.
However, authorities had expressed doubts about the level of danger that Monahan may have felt on the night of the incident. They noted that the vehicles were turning around to leave and prosecutors expressed deep skepticism about his argument.
The latter said in a closing statement on Tuesday that the defendant had acted with animus and callous disregard for the people who had stumbled onto his property, "interrupting his night" and "not leaving fast enough."
Guilty Verdict
The jury in the case deliberated for less than an hour before finding Monahan guilty of the murder of Gillis. Authorities also convicted the defendant of reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence, according to the Associated Press.
An attorney and spokesperson for the Gillis family, Donald Boyajian said that they were thankful for the outcome of the trial. He added that the conviction was a "just result," noting that it was still a very sad time for the family of the victim. He said that the guilty verdict does not change that their daughter is no longer with them.
The murder conviction against Monahan carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. This is something that Washington County District Attorney J. Anthony Jordan said prosecutors would seek at the defendant's hearing that is scheduled for Mar. 1.
Jordan told reporters following the guilty verdict that seeking justice for Gillis was his office's goal in the case. He noted that the murder affected not only the family of the victim but also her friends who were with her at the time of the crime. He said, "These kids, you all know, they feel responsible," said AOL.
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