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MONDAY, July 2, 2007, 11:48 a.m.
By Derrick Nunnally
40 years for Special Olympian's slaying
A 19-year-old man laughed and maintained his innocence in court this morning before he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the September murder of Special Olympian Brandon Sprewer in an attempted armed robbery on Milwaukee's northwests side.
Christopher D. Jones, 19, gave a rambling, argumentative speech in court, repeatedly claiming that he didn't kill Sprewer and didn't deserve to be labeled a criminal despite his lengthy arrest record that includes shooting a man in 2005.
Circuit Judge Daniel L. Konkol sternly rebuked Jones for his assertions, which the judge said were "unbelievably" made.
"Apart from this case, he's still a criminal," Konkol said before handing down the sentence for Sprewer's death.
Jones was convicted in May of first degree reckless homicide and attempted armed robbery.
Sprewer's grandfather William H. Clark had urged Konkol to send Jones to prison for life and called the 40-year sentence, which comes with 15 additional years in extended-supervision time, "justified."
Jones will begin serving that sentence once he finishes a 4 1/2 year sentence for his 2005 case. Jones had been on probation for that conviction of first-degree recklessly endangering safety when he shot Sprewer, 22, in a seemingly random late-night encounter at N. 91st St. and W. Silver Spring Dr. that began when Jones tried to sell Sprewer drugs.
"There's just no rhyme or no reason for it," Clark said of his grandson's death.
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There is no parol in Wisconsin. 40 years means 40 years.
He should be about 60 when he gets out, since he has to finish another sentence 1st.