close
Source: Pioneer Press, St.存倉 Paul, Minn.Sept. 04--Amid the tears and stifled sobs of a grieving family, the question loomed large in a Ramsey County courtroom: Why did such a good young man have to die?Aung Thu Bo, 19, was a Hamline University computer science student who was shot to death Aug. 10, 2012, after he responded to the killer's Craigslist ad for a cellphone.Two of Bo's three sisters and his mother took turns sitting in front of Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan. Through written statements, they described -- or tried to, before breaking down -- the man who always smiled, who volunteered at a nursing home, who turned all his paychecks over to his immigrant parents and worked hard to get through high school and into college.He never even got a speeding ticket.Marrinan took it all in and then sentenced his killer, Steven Emmanuel Lewis, 27, of Maplewood to more than 24 years in prison.Lewis apologized for his actions. "It never was supposed to go the way it did," he told the court. He has said previously that the gun went off accidentally.Lewis pleaded guilty July 10 to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery.Bo and his girlfriend, Annie Moua, drove in Bo's Mitsubishi Lancer to look at an iPhone 4S Lewis advertised on Craigslist.They met Lewis at Leo's Chow Mein on Hudson Road in St. Paul about 12:40 p.m.Lewis said he had left the phone's charger at home and wanted to go get it. Bo asked to look at the phone to see if he was interested in it. Lewis then said that the phone was at his house, too. He lived right around the corner, he said."Bo told the man that he didn't do transactions at a house," the complaint said. But Lewis persuaded them to go. Lewis got in the back seat and Bo drove about two blocks, as Lewis directed.Lew迷你倉s then pulled out a black handgun. He met no resistance from Bo and Moua, said Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Lawrence Schultz."When it became apparent that this was a robbery, they couldn't give thedefendant the articles of any value fast enough," Schultz said.Lewis reached into the front seat and searched Bo's pockets with his left hand. The gun went off. A bullet entered the right side of Bo's head, exiting through the left.Doctors determined that the wound would be fatal. His family took him off life support the next day.The prosecutor decried the killing, pointing to other recent violence in St. Paul."It's as if there's an open season on good people on the East Side," Schultz said.He asked Marrinan to give Lewis the most severe sentence she could. She did.Lewis was given credit for the 390 days he has served in custody and ordered to pay $3,574 in restitution to Bo's family, $10,299 to the Crime Victims Reparations Board (which paid the family for funeral expenses) and $218 to Moua for the loss of her two phones.At the sentencing, Bo's 15-year-old sister, Thanda Bo, said her brother taught her many things -- including the importance of respect."He was always respectful to adults and showed an amazing attitude towards them. Respect is a very important trait because it's what keeps society together."As for Lewis, she said, she asked the judge for "a reasonable sentenceso he will know not to steal from others and hurt others ever again."Lewis had seven felony convictions since 2004, Schultz said.Emily Gurnon can be reached at 651-228-5522. Follow her at twitter.com/emilygurnon.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at .twincities.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉
arrow
arrow
    全站熱搜

    sgusers9 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()