After firing into a house at the incorrect location and killing a 15-year-old girl who was not guilty while she slept, a man from Nebraska was given the death penalty.
For the death of Synthia Elliott, 20-year-old Selassie Spencer received a sentence of 75 to 90 years in jail, with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
He entered a no-contest plea to charges of second-degree murder and using a lethal weapon. The Omaha World-Herald reports that he will have to be released in around 47 years.
Malaiya Wagner, a friend of the Elliott family, told local ABC affiliate KETV after the judge’s ruling that it was “some sort of relief.” She was worthy of life. She was only fifteen. She was at her own house, sleeping.
According to the outlet, Spencer expressed regret and said, “Taking a life is a burden I will carry for the rest of my life.”
According to authorities, Spencer and three other people fired into a house at 37th and Pinkney Streets in Omaha on November 30, 2022, from the driveway.
Synthia’s body was found in her bedroom. Omaha police promptly detained Spencer and three others.
The other two men are set for trial in March, while one has entered a plea of no contest and is awaiting punishment.
The World-Herald claims that the gunmen used Google Maps to try and find the target’s address but were unable to do so, so they instead located the closest residence.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told the local NBC affiliate WOWT that it’s difficult to understand exactly what they were thinking. However, it seems that [Elliott] was not the target of their intended shooting, and they may have even been at the incorrect address.
Synthia’s grandmother informed the World-Herald in January 2023 that she thought the shooters had been set up.
She informed me that it was either that or they just had the wrong house.
Michael Bianchi, Spencer’s defense lawyer, focused on his client’s background and criminal record, which included time spent in state prison prior to his murder of Synthia.
My client had a challenging upbringing and a lovely mother. Bianchi said, “We’re here today because our client’s foolishness caused this poor young lady to be absent.”
Synthia was an athletic assistant for the athletics department and a member of the Black Student Leadership Council at North High School, according to her obituary.
She was a very remarkable young woman who loved dancing, making TikTok videos, and listening to music.
But above all, the obituary said, she enjoyed family get-togethers. Helping people in need was Synthia’s natural instinct.
She just did it without waiting for anyone to ask. She was always ready to lend a helping hand to others. She gave without any ulterior motives. Everyone wanted a companion like Synthia, but they didn’t deserve it.
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