Julian Conley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 additional years for the 2020 killing of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner. The sentence was handed down Friday by a Fulton County judge. Turner was fatally shot on July 4, 2020, near University Avenue as the SUV she was in tried to pass an armed barricade, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
During sentencing, Turner’s mother addressed the court about her loss. Conley’s mother, who has a background in law enforcement instruction, expressed remorse for the family’s loss but asked for leniency for her son, who had been jailed for five years. She said she plans to start a nonprofit to address conditions at Fulton County Jail and maintained her son’s innocence in firing the fatal shot. Turner’s parents continue to pursue civil actions and raised concerns about the police response that night.
According to 11Alive, the jury deliberated for nearly two weeks before finding Conley guilty. The defense requested a mistrial over the introduction of a computer rendering by the prosecution, but the judge denied the motion. Prosecutors focused on Conley’s association with the Piru Bloods gang and his presence at the scene, saying surveillance footage implicated him in the shooting…