Man whose violent rampage led to fatal police shooting gets 236 years

Gene Atkins was convicted of 43 criminal counts, including second-degree murder, for his role in the death of 27-year-old Melyda Corado, killed by an officer's stray bullet.LOS ANGELES (CN) — Gene Atkins, the man whose violent rampage in 2018 led to a fatal police shooting at a Trader Joe’s in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake, was sentenced on Wednesday to 236 years-to-life in state prison.“In this case, it was dramatic how many lives were changed forever as a result of Mr. Atkins’ behavior,” Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench said before handing down the sentence. “We’ll never know why — at least I’ll never know why.”The 36-year-old Atkins, making a rare court appearance after missing most of his two trials, did not speak before or after the sentencing. He wore blue pants and a yellow shirt, likely an indication he is suffering some psychological problem. He betrayed little reaction to the lengthy sentence handed down, or to the short statement given by Albert Corado, the father of the young woman killed by a policeman’s stray bullet at the end of the pursuit.“You ruined our life,” Corado told Atkins in court. “You ripped my heart in two.”As Corado stepped away from the podium, Judge Lench told him, “Mr. Corado, I am very sorry for your loss.” Corado did not respond or look back at her.Atkins was first tried in May and convicted of three counts of attempted murder for shooting a 17-year-old girl, Leah Williams, and his grandmother and firing at police officers. He was also convicted of dozens of other counts for leading police on a frantic pursuit, ending with him crashing into a utility pole outside the Trader Joe’s. Atkins fired at police as he ran out of his car and into the supermarket. Two police officers fired back; one of their stray bullets struck a store employee, 27-year-old Melyda Corado, killing her.The first jury was deadlocked on whether or not Atkins was guilty of second-degree murder for Corado’s death. Prosecutors elected to try Atkins for murder again, on the theory Atkins knew or should have known police would shoot back and likely hit a bystander. The second jury found Atkins guilty, bringing his total to 42 counts.On Wednesday, Atkins’ attorney, Errol Cook, urged the judge for a far lower sentence of 15 years-to-life, arguing “something was going on in his brain” that day.Williams had testified that she woke up to find herself in Atkins’ bed, without knowing how she got there.“Prior to shooting me, he was saying a lot of wacky things,” Williams told the first jury. “Like crazy things. He said, ‘If I can’t have you, no one can.’ He was tired of chasing me. I know there’s more." She added: “He said, ‘you left me here with these people.’ I don’t know what that means at all.”Cook said that last statement was evidence Atkins was “experiencing some type of auditory or visual hallucination.” He added: “Something was wrong that day, and catastrophic events followed.”Deputy District Attorney Ben Schwartz, arguing for a far stiffer penalty, painted a different version of the defendant.“This day did not just come about out of the blue,” Schwartz said. “Mr. Atkins had a history of violent conduct.”During the two trials, Williams was sometimes referred to as Atkins’ girlfriend. Schwartz said that was a mischaracterization. The juries never heard about the full extent of their relationship. It was relevant to the sentencing. They met, Schwartz said, when she was 14 or 15, when she was “walking around her school.”“He groomed her over a period of time, forced her into prostitution, human trafficked her,” the prosecutor said. “She endured rapes at Mr. Atkins’ hands and savage beatings. He even had his name tattooed on her face as a sign of his dominion over her.”Schwartz added, “The people are asking that the sentence reflect the harm that was done to every single victim in this case.”The sentence, close to the time prosecutors had asked for, included an 80-year-to-life sentence, to be served consecutively with a 111-year sentence and a 45-year sentence.The large number of years given to Atkins is largely academic. Under California law, most inmates who have served at least 20 years in prison are eligible for parole once they turn 50. Atkins has been in jail since he was arrested in 2018, and has been credited with more than nine years served, including time for good behavior. That means his first parole hearing will be shortly after he turns 50.When reporters asked after the hearing whether he thought justice had been served, Corado said no.“There’s no justice when your daughter is gone,” Corado said. “There’s not enough years.” Although he later added: “He got what he deserved. He ruined too many lives.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads