SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – A man who shot and killed a woman in 2016 will spend 50 years in prison.
A 50-year sentenced was handed down to Belleville man Devante Taylor, 25, after he pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder. He shot 21-year-old Alaysia Bennett during an armed robbery attempt on Dec. 21, 2016 at 2145 W. Washington St.
Taylor approached a car that Bennett was a passenger in and fired a handgun, hitting her. Bennett’s infant child was also in that car, along with two other adult passengers, who were not hurt. Taylor and multiple accomplices planned to rob the car, prosecutors say.
“Alaysia Bennett was a completely innocent victim of senseless gun violence,” said Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright. “Our community should be proud of the investigation conducted by the Springfield Police Department, which led to the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility and a 50-year prison sentence.”
The GBMI plea does not absolve Taylor from criminal responsibility. It does mean Taylor could be transferred to the Department of Human Services if periodic mental health evaluations by the Department of Corrections determine DHS treatment is necessary. Taylor would then be moved back to the DOC after treatment and would have to serve the full sentence.
The other two suspects in the shooting, Demarco Jones and Roderick Gailes, still have ongoing trials. Both are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm and armed robbery. Jones will be in court on June 3, while Gailes will appear on July 22.
