CHICAGO – A Chicago man convicted in the 2009 videotaped beating death of a high school honors student was sentenced to 32 years in prison on Tuesday, the fourth of five defendants in the case to have been sent away for a long time.
Eugene Riley, 20, could have walked away from the 2009 attack on 16-year-old Derrion Albert, but instead, he grabbed a wooden board and slammed it into the high school sophomore's head while he was lying prone on the ground, Assistant State's Attorney James Papa said.
"He set in motion the whole chain that ultimately led to Derrion Albert's murder," Papa said.
In a cellphone video that circulated worldwide after it was posted online, Derrion's attackers are seen punching and kicking him, slamming him over the head with large boards and finally, stomping on his head. The attack occurred on a street a few blocks from Derrion's school on the city's South Side.
Riley read an apology in court on Tuesday written on a piece of yellow legal paper.
"I asked the Lord to forgive me for the actions that I took," he said, adding that he still wants to make something of his life.
One of the five defendants pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case, and juries had little trouble convicting the other four of the same charge after repeatedly being shown the video footage.
Only one of the five, Lapolean Colbert, has not been sentenced. His hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29.
Derrion's mother addressed the court and said her son should be remembered for more than the attack that killed him. She said she is still grieving, but she's grateful for the city's efforts after the attack to beef up security at its schools and bus stops.
"It shouldn't have taken my son to lose his life," she told reporters after the hearing.
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