NY Man Gets Life Sentence for Murder of Lost Woman in Driveway

TL/DR –

Kevin Monahan, 66, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting Kaylin Gillis, who mistakenly drove into his driveway in New York. Monahan was convicted of second-degree murder and received an additional four years for tampering with the murder weapon. Monahan maintained the shooting was an accident due to a defective shotgun and claimed he believed his house was under siege, but prosecutors argued he was motivated by rage towards trespassers.

Kevin Monahan Sentenced for Shooting Woman Who Mistakenly Drove into His Driveway

Kevin Monahan, 66, received a 25 years to life sentence on Friday for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis. Gillis was in an SUV that accidentally drove into Monahan’s driveway in rural upstate New York. The incident, which happened while Gillis and her group of friends were searching for a party at another house in Hebron, attracted attention beyond New York.

Gillis’ tragic death came soon after the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City. Yarl, a Black teenager, got injured after an older white man shot him for mistakenly knocking on the wrong door.

Monahan was convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with the murder weapon. The judge accused Monahan of showing no remorse, stating, “You murdered Kaylin Gillis. You shot at a car full of people without caring about the consequences.”

During the trial, Monahan argued that the fatal shot was accidental, attributing it to a defective shotgun. He claimed he believed his house was under attack and only wanted to scare the group away. However, the prosecution disputed this, arguing that Monahan was motivated by an irrational rage towards trespassers.

After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts against Monahan for murder, reckless endangerment, and tampering with physical evidence. Gillis’ boyfriend, Blake Walsh, who was driving the SUV at the time, told Monahan, “I will never be able to forgive you.”

Gillis’ father, Andrew Gillis, described his daughter as someone who loved animals and aspired to be a marine biologist or a veterinarian. “Losing her has left an indescribable void in our life,” he said. “We will never see her beautiful face, hear her laughter, or simply be able to hug her.”

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