DETROIT – A man convicted of fatally shooting his son execution-style after the boy admitted to molesting his sister was sentenced to 37 to 80 years in prison.
Jamar Pinkney Sr. of Highland Park was sentenced Thursday by Wayne County Circuit Judge Brian Sullivan in the Nov. 16 death of Jamar Pinkney Jr.
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"He beat him, stripped him naked, paraded him down the street. The only inference, which can be drawn is to humiliate him and take his life," said Sullivan.
On April 1, Pinkney was convicted of murder, three counts of felony assault and one count of felony firearm.
At Pinkney's sentencing, the victim's family members appeared in court wearing T-shirts that memorialized Jamar Pinkney Jr.
His mother held back tears as she read a statement to the judge.
"I will never hear his voice again. I will never see his smile. He took that away from me. When he put matters in his own hands, he was the judge the jury and the executioner. Your honor, I ask you ? he needs to spend the rest of his life in jail," said Yolanda Cherry.
Before Pinkney was hauled away, he apologized to his family and said that he would forever be haunted by what he had done.
"I am glad and satisfied with that decision. I am glad it's over with and I can put it behind me and I can start healing," said Cherry outside of the courtroom.
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Wayne County prosecutors said Jamar Pinkney Sr. marched his 15-year-old son out of his home in Highland Park on Nov. 16, 2009, led him into a vacant lot and fatally shot him. The boy lived in the Highland Park home with his mother.
According to prosecutors, Pinkney Sr., 37, went to the home to question his son about an incident involving the son's 3-year-old half-sister.
During his trial, Pinkney Sr. took the witness stand and said he initially found it hard to believe his son had molested the girl.
"I couldn't believe that my son would do something like that to his sister. He said he didn't do anything. We questioned him maybe an hour and a half and he completely denied doing anything," Pinkney said.
But then, Pinkney said his son later admitted to molesting his younger sister, without going into detail.
"He said, 'Daddy, I'm sorry, can you forgive me?" Pinkney said.
But when Pinkney Sr. said he had a final confrontation with the boy, he heard the shocking details of what had happened.
"He said, 'I got up from the couch and went into the bedroom, I pulled my shorts and my underwear off and I got on top of her,'" Pinkney said.
When he was asked how he responded to that news, Pinkney said, "That's when I lost it."
Police said when the boy's mother and another female relative tried to intervene, Pinkney Sr. pointed the weapon at the women, and then forced his son to leave the home and walk into the vacant lot.
Pinkney Sr. had been charged with first-degree murder.
"It's a horrific case, there are no winners in this case," said defense attorney David Draper. "Regardless of the verdict, everybody loses because we've lost this wonderful young man. Our client loses because he's going to spend a great deal of time in prison, and have the rest of his life to re-live this case."
Defense attorney Corbett Edge O'Meara said the 37-year-old Pinkney won't be eligible for parole until 2046. O'Meara said he is disappointed with the sentence and expects Pinkney to appeal.
He also said he had hoped that Pickney would have received the lower end of the sentencing guidelines, which started at 18 years.