Friends and family of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis harassed her killer as he was led out of the courtroom to begin serving a 25-year prison sentence.
Kevin Monahan, 66, was found guilty Friday of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence following a two-week trial in January.
Monahan, a Hebron native, fatally shot Gillis after the SUV she was riding in accidentally pulled into his rural driveway in upstate New York last April.
The decision came after a series of heartbreaking emotional statements from Gillis' father, as well as her boyfriend Blake Walsh, who was driving the car, and her friend Alexandra Whiting, who was another passenger on the fateful night.
The courtroom, packed with people wearing shirts and sweaters commemorating Gillis, cheered as Monahan was escorted from the courtroom after she was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Friends and family of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis harassed her killer Kevin Monahan (pictured) as he was escorted out of court to begin serving a 25-year prison sentence
Monahan is on trial for the April 2023 fatal shooting of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis, who was shot in the neck after a car she was in accidentally drove down the shooter's driveway
Gillis (right) was driving with her boyfriend and two friends when they got lost on Monahan's winding dirt road. He says he will “never be able to forgive” Monahan for killing her
Gillis' family and friends shouted “Bye Kevin,” “You coward” and “Justice served” as he was led out in handcuffs.
The defense asked for leniency. Monahan declined an opportunity to speak.
“I think it's important for people to know that it's not OK to shoot people and have them killed because they turned into the driveway,” Judge Adam Michelini said.
Aside from the greater deterrent effect, Michelini said it's important that Monahan stay behind bars rather than be free to harm more people.
On the night of Gillis' death, the group of friends had realized their mistake and turned around when Monahan fired a second shot, hitting Gillis in the neck as she sat in the passenger seat of an SUV driven by her friend.
Monahan claimed the fatal shooting was an accident and that the shotgun was defective. He also said he believed the home about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Albany was “under siege” by intruders and said he came out to fire a warning shot to scare off the group while his wife hid inside .
Prosecutors argued that Monahan was motivated by an irrational anger toward intruders.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning its guilty verdicts against Monahan in January on charges of murder, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence.
Gilis' father had previously spoken of his sadness over the sudden loss of his daughter and said he hoped Monahan “dies in prison.”
A New York City courthouse police officer holds Kevin Monahan's shotgun during the summons in Monahan's murder trial
Kaylin Gillis' father, Andrew, addressed the media after Monahan's first court appearance in April and said he hoped the shooter “dies in prison.”
According to Zillow, Kevin Monahan's home was built in 2004 and is estimated to cost $310,000. It is only accessible via a dirt road
Gillis' father, Andrew Gillis, described his daughter as someone who loved animals and dreamed of becoming a marine biologist or veterinarian.
“Every day we wake up to the harsh reality that she is no longer here.” “We will never see her beautiful face, hear her laugh,” Gillis said in court Friday before Monahan's sentence was announced.
Her boyfriend, Blake Walsh, was behind the wheel of the SUV that night. “I will never be able to forgive you,” he said to Monahan, who looked on, stone-faced.
“You took the life of someone who was never a threat to you, not for a second,” Walsh said.
“Kaylin was a sweet and loving soul. “Everything you wanted,” he continued. “If it were my decision, you would go to prison.”
Gillis' friend Whiting said to the killer: “I feel a little sorry for you every now and then. I wonder what caused you to behave this way and why, and wonder if you really feel guilty about what you did.”
“You made a decision that changed all of our lives forever, all because you were afraid for three minutes,” she said.