Markus Evans sentenced to life for the murder of 17-year-old Jonoshia Alexander



18-year-old Markus Evans was sentenced to life for the shooting death of a Milwaukee girl, 17-year-old Jonoshia Alexander. She was killed while on her way home from cheerleading practice on December 15th, 2010.  Alexander was found in an alley with a single gunshot wound to her head.

Evans was charged with multiple counts including first degree intentional homicide, reckless endangerment and illegal possession of a firearm.

The reckless endangerment charge is related to an incident on the same night involving Evans' mother. The criminal complaint say Evans came into his mother's room with a shotgun, loaded it in front of her, pointed the gun at his own head and stated he was a maniac and that police would not take him. The complaint says he then lowered the loaded shotgun and left the room.

A few moments later, a shotgun sound was heard behind the Evans home.

A detective questioning Evans on the night of the shooting asked Evans if he killed Alexander. Evans apparently replied, "She's dead, isn't she?"

Investigators say Markus has a lengthy juvenile record and was wanted for multiple firearms offenses.

Markus Evans entered the court room restrained to a wheelchair and surrounded by a small army of sheriff's deputies.  An equal number of deputies were scattered throughout the viewing area.  It was in response to the teen's past court appearances where family fights and defendant outbursts have been commonplace.

Though Evans was arrested just hours after the crime a string of competency hearings postponed his guilty plea to late September, 2011.  As a result of the plea deal two of his charges were dropped leaving 1st degree intentional homicide.

Before his sentencing the victim's family was given a chance to speak.

"I'm not angry, I'm sad and I'm heart-broken.  I'm just, I would like to see life with no parole," said Alexander’s mother Latshia Stewart.

Evans' defense brought up his unstable up-bringing, apparent mental illness and age in an effort to get possible parole in 30 years.  However the judge ultimately could not see past the severity of his crime.

"Based on all of that, and just the need to protect the community... I am sentencing Mr. Evans to life imprisonment," said Judge Rebecca Dallet.

Evans immediately broke his silence and was quickly escorted out of the courtroom while his family ignored deputies' warnings and expressed their own outrage.

For the victim's family however, justice is served.

"I just want him to serve his time, do his time, from taking a life, a life that didn't deserve to be taken," said Alexander’s grandmother Sandra Stewart.