LAS VEGAS, NV (KXNT) - A jury on Friday sentenced the man convicted of shooting and killing a liquor store clerk to life in prison with the possinbilty for parole.
26- year old Ray Brown could could've received the death penalty. On Wednesday, Brown was found guilty in the death of Matthew Christensen.
Prosecutors say that Brown shot and killed store clerk Matthew Christensen after Christensen was unable to open the safe at Lee's Discount Liquor's Warm Springs and Durango location back in April of 2016.
Defense attorneys had claimed that there there was no hard proof that Brown was the one who fired the shots that killed Christensen, citing a lack of DNA, footprint and fingerprint evidence. After two days of deliberations, the jury detirned the guilty verdict.
Aside from the death penalty or life with parole, the jury had the option of giving Brown a life without the possibility for parole sentence.
Brothers Lee Dominic Sykes and Lee Murray Sykes had previously pled guilty to their roles in the robbery. Dominic Sykes is serving between 25 and 65 years in prison on 1st- degree murder with a deadly weapon charge. Murray Sykes is serving 15-40 years for 2nd-degree murder and robbery charges.