OPELIKA, Ala. – A former soldier has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release for the murder of an Auburn police officer who arrived at his house to investigate a domestic disturbance.
Grady Wayne Wilkes was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday after jurors found him guilty of capital murder of a police officer earlier this week. He was also found guilty of attempting to murder two other officers.
Prosecutors claim Wilkes answered his door in 2019 while wearing a military helmet and body armour and opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call. Wilkes apologized in court for killing Officer William Buechner.
“I’m so sorry,” Wilkes told the court and Buechner’s family during sentencing, the Opelika-Auburn News reported. “I can’t put it into words. I can never make it up to you. I can never get him back. I’m so sorry.”
According to WRBL, throughout the trial, the courtroom heard Buechner’s final remarks, which were captured on his body camera after he was shot. “Lord, please help me,” he begged.
The death penalty had been sought by prosecutors.
“He intended to kill every single living soul that was on that porch,” Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere told the jury.
According to news outlets, defence attorneys contended that Wilkes was mentally ill and did not want to kill the officer.
Wilkes had served in the Alabama National Guard since 2010 and was the commander of an infantry combat unit at the time of the incident, according to a Guard spokeswoman in 2019.
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