Man Sentenced To 60 Years In Prison For 2011 Midland Murder
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: February 14, 2013
MIDLAND -- A convicted Midland murderer will call a Texas prison home for the next six decades.
142nd District Court Judge George "Jody" Gilles sentenced Christopher Marchel Hill to 60 years in prison on Thursday.
Jurors found Hill guilty of the murder of Jeremy Johnson on February 4th.
Hill, 26, shot Johnson, 28, multiple times in Johnson's living room of Johnson's home at 911 North Weatherford Street on September 18, 2011.
Johnson was rushed to Midland Memorial Hospital after the shooting, but he didn't survive.
M.M.H. was also locked down after Johnson was admitted.
Midland Police detectives found a firearm allegedly used in the shooting near U.S. 385 north of Odessa days after the shooting.
A Texas Department of Public Safety Forensic Scientist matched the firearm to 9 millimeter shell casings at the murder scene.
Meanwhile, Hill left West Texas after the shooting.
U.S. Marshals arrested Hill at a motel in Seminole County, FL on September 29, 2011.
Hill testified in his own trial on February 1st.
During testimony, Hill said the he owned the firearm recovered in Ector County, and he admitted that he shot Johnson.
However, Hill said he shot Johnson only because he was afraid that Johnson would shoot him.
However, 8 witnesses testified that Johnson was sitting unarmed on a foot stool in his living room when Hill burst into the home and shot him several times.
The witness testimony helped lead jurors to convict Hill after about 2 hours of deliberation on February 4th.
Before Hill was sentenced, Johnson's mother testified as to how the passing of her son has affected her and her family.
Judge Gilles also took Hill's criminal history and membership in a criminal street gang into account before returning his sentence.
142nd District Court Judge George "Jody" Gilles sentenced Christopher Marchel Hill to 60 years in prison on Thursday.
Jurors found Hill guilty of the murder of Jeremy Johnson on February 4th.
Hill, 26, shot Johnson, 28, multiple times in Johnson's living room of Johnson's home at 911 North Weatherford Street on September 18, 2011.
Johnson was rushed to Midland Memorial Hospital after the shooting, but he didn't survive.
M.M.H. was also locked down after Johnson was admitted.
Midland Police detectives found a firearm allegedly used in the shooting near U.S. 385 north of Odessa days after the shooting.
A Texas Department of Public Safety Forensic Scientist matched the firearm to 9 millimeter shell casings at the murder scene.
Meanwhile, Hill left West Texas after the shooting.
U.S. Marshals arrested Hill at a motel in Seminole County, FL on September 29, 2011.
Hill testified in his own trial on February 1st.
During testimony, Hill said the he owned the firearm recovered in Ector County, and he admitted that he shot Johnson.
However, Hill said he shot Johnson only because he was afraid that Johnson would shoot him.
However, 8 witnesses testified that Johnson was sitting unarmed on a foot stool in his living room when Hill burst into the home and shot him several times.
The witness testimony helped lead jurors to convict Hill after about 2 hours of deliberation on February 4th.
Before Hill was sentenced, Johnson's mother testified as to how the passing of her son has affected her and her family.
Judge Gilles also took Hill's criminal history and membership in a criminal street gang into account before returning his sentence.
