Gregory Crichlow, of Springfield, who was convicted in March of killing Gregory "Monte" Scott, Jr., age 24, and Jennifer Hicks, age 20, was sentenced on Thursday, June 27, the Connecticut Department of Justice said.
Police in Hartford County were called to the Buckland Hills commuter lot in the town of Manchester in the early morning of Aug. 2, 2020, to reports of a shooting. Investigators said people were gathered there for illegal street races when Chrichlow pulled up next to Scott's car, got out, and opened fire on the three people inside at close range.
Prosecutors said Crichlow had followed them for 40 minutes from Springfield to Manchester to pull off his attack despite knowing there was a woman in the car who was seven months pregnant. Scott and Crichlow had traded several angry messages on Facebook leading up to the shooting.
Scott's father, Gregory Scott Sr., called Crichlow's conviction a "Pyrrhic victory" that came at a "high cost."
My loss is so far much greater.” he told the court, according to the Connecticut State's Attorney's Office. "The damage the defendant inflicted upon my family is insurmountable and irreversible. (Though,) justice has prevailed."
Jenna Hick's mother, Ericka Ortega, told the judge that her daughter "was a great person full of life and love. She was smart, bright, ambitious, and courageous and always took risks…. The defendant took away an innocent life, and we prayed for justice so that we can finally heal.”
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