DETROIT (WWJ) -- Calling it an egregious case of road rage, a Wayne County Judge has sentenced a Detroit man to 70-100 years in prison for the shooting death of a 3-year-old boy.
Derrick Durham learned his sentence Tuesday morning, more than three years after Christian "CJ" Miller was shot to death while riding in his godmother's SUV on the Southfield Freeway, on his way downtown to see "Sesame Street Live."
Among those to make a victim impact statement in the courtroom was Miller's mother Tamika Whitley, who said her life has been forever changed by the senseless killing.
"You really hurt me," said Whitley, addressing Durham directly. "My life's been upside down about this. I have been seeing a therapist because of this. I don't know if I'm coming or going."
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"People want to say, 'Oh things was meant for a reason'," she added. "No, I don't believe that. Because God didn't take him from me, you did."
In January of 2019, the victim's godmother was driving along M-39 when a single shot was fired into her car, striking Christian "CJ" Miller between the shoulder blades. Michigan State Police recovered a Mercedes believed to be the suspect vehicle, and Durham turned himself in. MSP said Durham, who was 24 years old at the time, confessed to the shooting, saying he was upset when the woman cut him off.
Judge Margaret Van Houter said it does not matter why the fatal shot was fired.
"No one driving down the freeway, whether you cut someone off or not, should have a shot fired at their car," Houter said, in handing down the sentence. "Road rage does not excuse shooting at someone's car."
Later, during his trial, Durham claimed it was a passenger in the car that fired the shot that killed the child. His attorney also argued that Durham did not know where were children in the car.
In addition to the murder charge, Durham was convicted on charges of discharging a weapon from a vehicle causing death, and gun charges.
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