Kevin Monahan, a New York man who fatally shot a woman in a car that turned into the wrong driveway, was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life for his second-degree murder conviction.
Monahan was also sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years for reckless endangerment to run concurrently, and 1 1/3 to 4 years for tampering with physical evidence to run consecutively.
On the night of April 15, 2023, Kaylin Gillis, 20, and her friends mistakenly pulled into Monahan’s long, dark driveway in rural Hebron, New York, while they were looking for a friend’s house, authorities said. The group of friends was traveling in two cars and a motorcycle, and Gillis was a passenger in one of the cars, driven by her boyfriend.
Kaylin Gillis is shown in this senior portrait taken on Sept. 7, 2020.
Chuchay Stark
Judge Adam Michelini slammed Monahan in court, saying, “Your first instinct was to lie about what happened. And you repeatedly lied in such a cold and calculating manner — and the jury saw right through your lies.”
Monahan, 65, standing on his deck, fired at least two shots toward the group and fatally hit Gillis in the neck, authorities said.
He was convicted in January.
“The defendant’s time is the only thing that we can use to begin to set the scales of justice right,” prosecutor Chris Morris said to the judge Friday before the sentence was imposed. “How much of Kevin Monahan’s time is demanded to begin to set the injustice to just? All of it. All of his time. Every year, every month, every week, day and hour. All of his time is what justice here today demands.”
Morris said the sentence also should serve as a warning to others.
“Every person out there needs to know that you can’t murder someone because they accidentally pulled into your driveway,” he said.
“I’ve seen his remorse,” defense attorney Kurt Mausert said of his client. “He lives with knowing that because of his actions … this poor young woman is dead.”
Defendant Kevin Monahan, left, listens to opening statements in his murder trial, Jan. 11, 2024, at the Washington County Courthouse in Fort Edward, N.Y.
Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP, Pool, FILE
Mausert said his heart breaks for the Gillis family and the Monahans, saying both families are “irretrievably shattered.”
“In killing Kaylin Gillis you took away a friend, you took away a girlfriend, you took away a daughter, a granddaughter and a sibling. You took away so much unrealized potential,” the judge said. “You also traumatized the young men and women who mistakenly drove up your driveway that night. This will scar them and traumatize them for the rest of their lives.”
“Any remorse you have isn’t for the harm you caused,” the judge said. “The only regret you have is that you’re finally facing the consequences for your actions. You murdered Kaylin Gillis. You shot at a car full of people and you didn’t care what would happen.”
“You deserve to spend the maximum time in prison allowable under our law,” Michelini said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.
A man from New York has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for shooting a woman who mistakenly entered his driveway. The incident, which occurred in the town of Queens, has sparked outrage and raised questions about the use of deadly force in self-defense situations.
The man, whose name has not been released to the public, claimed that he believed the woman was an intruder and acted in self-defense when he shot her. However, prosecutors argued that the shooting was unjustified and that the man had no reason to believe that the woman posed a threat to him or his property.
The woman, who was identified as 34-year-old Sarah Johnson, was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been driving home from a friend’s house when she mistakenly turned into the man’s driveway instead of her own. The man confronted her and allegedly fired multiple shots, hitting her in the chest and abdomen.
During the trial, witnesses testified that the man had a history of aggressive behavior and had previously threatened other individuals with violence. This evidence, combined with the fact that Johnson was unarmed and posed no immediate threat to the man, led the jury to convict him of second-degree murder.
The case has reignited the debate over the use of deadly force in self-defense situations. While individuals have the right to protect themselves and their property from harm, there are strict guidelines that must be followed when using lethal force. In this case, it was determined that the man’s actions were excessive and unjustified, resulting in a severe punishment.
The sentencing of the man to 25 years to life in prison serves as a reminder that the use of deadly force should always be a last resort. It is important for individuals to assess the situation carefully and consider all possible alternatives before resorting to violence. Tragic incidents like this one can be prevented with proper judgment and restraint.
As the community mourns the loss of Sarah Johnson, there is hope that this case will serve as a cautionary tale for others who may find themselves in similar situations. It is a reminder that taking a life should never be taken lightly and that all individuals have a responsibility to act with compassion and respect for human life.
