Left: James Michael Sotelo. Right: Corey Thompson (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)
A 21-year-old man in Texas will spend several decades behind bars for killing his teenage friend during a sleepover, shooting the 17-year-old multiple times in the back as he was preparing to go to sleep. Harris County District Court Judge Josh Hill on Friday ordered James Michael Sotelo to serve a sentence of 40 years in a state correctional facility for the slaying of Corey Thompson, authorities announced.
A jury eight months ago found Sotelo guilty of one count of murder following a six-day trial. Sotelo then opted to have his punishment determined by Hill after the conduction of presentence investigations. Harris County law allows a convicted defendant to choose whether the jury or judge determines the sentence.
“There was absolutely no reason for this cold-blooded murder, so we know this man is a danger to the community,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said following the sentencing hearing. “In fact, after he was freed on bond for murder, he continued his criminal ways and was rearrested for carrying a gun.”
On the evening of March 20, 2021, Thompson was spending the night at the Sotelo family home.
Sotelo, a then-18-year-old high school dropout, picked up a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired at Thompson “at least 13 times as his friend was apparently trying to go to bed about 3 a.m.,” prosecutors said in a news release.
Emergency medical personnel and deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home. An investigation revealed that Sotelo struck Thompson 11 times in the back.
At least one shot missed Thompson and went through Sotelo’s bedroom wall, striking Sotelo’s brother in the face while he was sleeping. While Sotelo’s brother survived the shooting, Sotelo was charged with and convicted on an additional count of deadly conduct.
Hill sentenced Sotelo to an additional two years on the deadly conduct charge, to run concurrent to the 40-year sentence, meaning at the same time.
Prosecutors said they were seeking an even greater sentence due to the cruel and cold-blooded nature of the killing.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
During the trial, Sotelo took the stand in his own defense and claimed that he shot Thompson because the 17-year-old attacked him in his sleep, according to a report from Houston, Texas Fox affiliate KRIV.
“Of course, that’s not true, because every gunshot that he had was sustained from the back. Eleven of them,” Thompson’s mother, April Wright, told the station.
The family also reiterated that Sotelo never seemed to care that he had taken the life of his friend.
“He’s never going to take accountability for what he did, Thompson’s sister, Torrie Wright told KRIV. “He never cared, and he’s never going to care. He just cares for himself.”
Under Texas state law, Sotelo will be required to serve at least half his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
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