A Houston-area man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting and killing his high school friend during a sleepover in 2021.
James Michael Sotelo, now 21, was an 18-year-old high school dropout when he shot and killed 17-year-old Corey Thompson.
Thompson was Spending the Night at the Sotelo House
As pointed out by KHOU, Thompson was spending the night at the Sotelo family home on March 20, 2021, when he was fatally shot. Using a handgun, Sotelo fired at least 13 rounds at Thompson, hitting him at least 11 times.
"According to the defendant, he wasn't intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs, which makes deliberately pulling the trigger 13 times that much worse," Assistant District Attorney Kyle Tucker, who prosecuted the case, said.
Sotelo Claimed He Shot Thompson When He Attacked Him in His Sleep
Thompson was apparently trying to go to bed around 3 a.m. when he was killed. A bullet went through the bedroom wall and hit Sotelo's sleeping brother in the face. His brother survived the shooting.
Sotelo was convicted by a jury during a six-day trial in November. During the trial, Sotelo took the stand and claimed he shot Corey because he attacked him in his sleep. However, since every gunshot that Thompson sustained was from the back, that claim wasn't enough to convince the jury.
"We asked the judge for a sentence of at least 50 years because this defendant doesn't care about what he did, he did not have any remorse for the victim and there weren't any mitigating factors," Tucker added.
Sotelo was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Thompson and two years for a deadly conduct conviction in his brother's shooting.
"There was absolutely no reason for this cold-blooded murder, so we know this man is a danger to the community," Ogg said. "In fact, after he was freed on bond for murder, he continued his criminal ways and was rearrested for carrying a gun." The sentences will run concurrently and Sotelo will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years.
