James Michael Sotelo, a 21-year-old from Texas, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of his 17-year-old friend, Corey Thompson. The sentence was handed down by Judge Josh Hill of the Harris County District Court, who ordered Sotelo to serve his time in a state correctional facility. The decision came eight months after a jury found Sotelo guilty of murder in a trial that lasted six days.
Sotelo chose to have his sentence determined by Judge Hill following pre-sentence investigations, a choice allowed under Harris County law. The crime was described as “cold-blooded” by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who emphasized that Sotelo posed a significant danger to the community. Ogg also pointed out that Sotelo continued his criminal activities even after being released on bond for murder, leading to his re-arrest for firearm possession.
The deadly incident occurred on March 20, 2021, when Thompson was staying overnight at Sotelo’s family home. Sotelo, who had dropped out of high school, fired 13 rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at Thompson as he was sleeping around 3 a.m. Emergency medical personnel and deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene, where an investigation revealed that 11 of the shots had hit Thompson in the back.
One of the bullets missed Thompson and hit a wall, striking Sotelo’s sleeping brother in the face. Although his brother survived, Sotelo was charged and convicted of deadly conduct. Judge Hill added a concurrent two-year sentence for this charge to Sotelo’s 40-year sentence.
Prosecutors had advocated for a longer sentence due to the brutal and cold-blooded nature of the crime. Assistant District Attorney Kyle Tucker noted that Sotelo’s claim of not being under the influence of drugs or alcohol made his deliberate act of pulling the trigger 13 times even more shocking. Tucker also pointed out that Sotelo showed no remorse for his actions and there were no mitigating factors.
During his trial, Sotelo defended himself by claiming that he shot Thompson because Thompson had attacked him in his sleep. This claim was refuted by Thompson’s mother, April Wright, who pointed out that all the gunshot wounds were on Thompson’s back. Thompson’s family also stated that Sotelo showed no remorse for his actions.
Under Texas law, Sotelo will have to serve at least half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.