Man Gets 40 Years in Death of Special Olympian

Christopher D.Jones, 19, has been given a 40-year sentence in prison for the attempted robbery and death of Special Olympian Brandon Sprewer that turned deadly last fall.

According to court records and the Journal Sentinel, Jones laughed while in court at the grandfather of the man he murdered as his sentenced was given to him. Jones also gave a lengthy speech insisting that he had not killed Sprewer, and how he did not deserve to be labeled as a criminal, regardless of the fact that Jones had, had four years of arrests and was currently on probation for shooting a man in 2005.

According to the police reports, Sprewer, 19, who had a learning disability and had been just a little behind normal finished high school, sang at his church, and worked two jobs. Sprewer had also been a competitor in the Special Olympics. On the day that Sprewer was killed, Jones had come up to him at the bus stop at 91st street and West Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee and tried to sell him drugs. When Jones realized that Sprewer was not interested in what he had to offer, Jones then turned the tables and made it out to be an armed robbery. Even that scenario did not phase Sprewer and Jones retaliated by shooting him. Sprewer was then taken to Froedtert Hospital where he bled to death.

Jones did not testify on his own behalf at his first trial that was one of the fastest homicide convictions in Wisconsin. Jurors came back with a decision in only 22 minutes after hearing testimony from eyewitnesses and people who had known Jones that he had confided to regarding the crime. When the sentencing trial came about, Jones decided that he would make a big speech regarding his innocence, however Sprewer's grandfather let his cries of innocence go in one ear and out the other and stated that his sentence was "justified". Clarke told the Journal Sentinel that 'there's just no rhyme or no reason for it", regarding his grandsons death.