By WMBD TV

BLOOMINGTON – Desmond Sterling was sentenced to 75 years in prison on Thursday.

McLean County Circuit Judge William Yoder handed down the prison term for the 23-year-old Sterling on murder charges for the Feb. 20, 2023, shooting of Kiejoun Watts whose body was found behind the Victory Church in rural Bloomington.

The courtroom was nearly full. Sterling’s foster father was in the room and several family members and friends of Watts were there as well. It was emotional and tears flowed freely on both sides.

Watts’ mother, Talaina Matthews, said the day she learned of her son’s death was the “end of life” as she knew it and the beginning of a “never-ending nightmare.”

The judge called the shooting an “execution,” saying Sterling went as far as “taunting” the Watts’ family, based upon evidence presented by prosecutors during the sentencing hearing.

Sterling, the judge said, had his chance to break away from his difficult childhood when his foster parents took him. There were some positives to the young man, noting that he completed a stress management class but, Yoder said, he’s still a significant threat to the community.

Sterling sat quietly in Yoder’s courtroom. He wore a jump scrub shirt and pants of an Illinois Department of Corrections inmate, having been sentenced earlier this year to four years beyond bars for burglary.

During his trial earlier this year, he wore green which is the color for an inmate at the McLean County Jail.

The hearing

The hearing started with Sterling’s attorneys trying to have the verdict thrown out, arguing that the judge had made several errors during the trial. That’s common and part of the appeal process, as Sterling, who all but certain to appeal his conviction, cannot bring up anything at the appellate level that wasn’t discussed before Yoder.

And as is also common, the judge denied the motion.

Prosecutors then moved into the aggravation phase of the hearing. That’s where they present evidence or allow people to read victim impact statements to bolster their argument for a stiffer sentence.

One thing they did show was a TikTok video which was shared by Sterling that seemed to mock a mother who spoke to reporters after her son was killed. It wasn’t made by him but Yoder noted that was akin to mocking Watts’ family.

Matthews, in her victim statement, said Sterling showed no remorse and said her son “did not deserve the death sentence you gave him but you do deserve the sentence to be kept in prison until the last breath of your life.”

Prosecutors sought a 95-year prison term. which would have been near the maximum. Yoder opted for 75 years, which was a 50-year prison term with an additional 25 years tacked on as he found that Sterling was the actual triggerman.

Under state law, Sterling must serve 100% of that sentence, as required by state law, with credit for nearly a year in custody.

Defense attorneys sought the minimum sentence, which was 45 years behind bars. Noting that still removed him from society for most of his adult life. Also, they said, he had “significant mental health issues” which were made worse by drug abuse. He was, they argued, capable of rehabilitation.

His trial

During a bench trial in early March, Sterling was found guilty of first-degree murder. It was Yoder, not a jury, who decided the fate of Sterling as the 23-year-old man had opted for a bench trial and not a jury trial.

Yoder also made the finding that Sterling “personally discharged” the gun that killed Watts. That legal finding, required by a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision, triggered an additional 25 years added onto the range of possible sentences

Sterling was arrested after Watt’s body was found behind Victory Church in Bloomington.

Prosecutors said Sterling lured Watts to his death under the guise of friendship and a firearm sale. Sterling’s attorney countered that his client didn’t admit to anything and that prosecutors had failed in their efforts to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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