Kevin Monahan was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of a Schuylerville woman this morning in a driveway shooting last year that garnered national attention.
Family and friends of Kaylin Gillis, the 20-year-old Schuylerville resident killed after she and friends had mistakenly pulled into a rural driveway last April, rejoiced as Kevin Monahan was sentenced to the maximum 25 years to life for murder, as well as a consecutive sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years for tampering with evidence.
Jurors concluded on January 23rd that Monahan had acted with a depraved indifference to human life when he fired upon two SUVs and a motorcycle that had entered his winding Hebron driveway while looking for a party down the road.
The courtroom was filled with people wearing shirts and sweaters memorializing Gillis. She would have turned 21 this week. Gillis’ father, her boyfriend and another friend who was in the SUV with Gillis when she was shot gave impact statements.
Andrew Gillis mourned the milestones his family would never reach, and emotionally outlined the hole that has been left in his heart since the death of his eldest daughter.
Before finishing, Gillis turned his focus on Monahan, saying what had previously gone unsaid in the courtroom: the 66-year-old Monahan is unlikely to ever get out of prison.
Gillis said Monahan’s refusal to accept responsibility as well as lying on and off the stand had sealed his fate.
Alexandra Whiting was sitting in the back seat of the SUV when Gillis was struck. Whiting said she continues experiencing pain and fear. She questioned whether Monahan felt any guilt, and hoped that he would reflect on Gillis’ death while serving his sentence.
1st Assistant District Attorney Chris Morris said Monahan did not qualify for leniency because of his continued refusal to take accountability.
“Will the defendant accept the judgement of the jury? If so, then he’s in the running for mercy. But I submit to you he won’t. And the thing is he’s already received a mercy, he gets to live his life every single day. What a mercy! What a mercy extended to him, undeserved, it’ll be lived differently, but he has it,” said Morris.
Morris requested the harshest possible sentence.
“How much of Kevin Monahan’s time is demanded to begin to set the injustice to just?” asked Morris. “All of it. All of his time. Every year, every month, every week, day, and hour. All of his time is what justice here today demands.”
Throughout the trial, the defense argued that Monahan had fired one shot as a warning and the second fatal shot was caused by a malfunction in his 20-gauge shotgun.
Defense Attorney Kurt Mausert advocated for Monahan, who was sitting beside him in a gray jail-issued jumpsuit.
“I’ve seen his remorse. He lives with knowing that because of his actions, under any way you view them, because of his actions, this poor young woman is dead. So, I don’t come here to ask you for mercy. I ask you to rebuff vengeance. I ask you to do what is just,” said Mausert.
The defense also claimed that Monahan could not have fired the second shot because of a decades-old wrist injury, but on cross-examination Morris highlighted that Monahan was working in construction and participated in long, high-speed motorcycle races as recently as 2018.
Much of the defense’s case revolved around a lack of communication between Monahan and the young adults as well as law enforcement. Told that police officers were at his home for a noise complaint hours after shooting at the caravan, prosecutors said Monahan lied and claimed that he had been asleep since 8:30, adding hunters in the woods behind his home could have caused the disturbance.
While delivering the defendant’s sentence, Judge Adam Michelini addressed Monahan directly.
“Your first instinct was to lie about what happened, and you repeatedly lied in such a cold and calculating manner. And the jury saw right through your lies, and they rejected them. In killing Kaylin Gillis, you took away a friend, you took away a girlfriend, you took away a daughter, a granddaughter, and a sibling. You took away so much unrealized potential. Her potential to enrich other people’s lives and to contribute to our society,” said Michelini.
Michelini said Monahan seemed remorseless.
“It’s obvious to me that you feel justified. You don’t take any responsibility for the outcome of your actions. You just don’t get it. The first thing you do on the witness stand when you come up here and testify, is you made a joke to the jury about them finally being able to see your face,” said Michelini. “You senselessly took the life of Kaylin Gillis, and you have the gall to sit here and talk about how you plan to finish up the work on your house, and race motor-cross in the future? You don’t deserve that. What would make you think that you deserve those things?
The judge also said Monahan could re-offend.
“Any remorse you have isn’t from the harm you’ve caused, the only regret you have is that you’re finally facing the consequences for your actions. You murdered Kaylin Gillis. You shot at a car full of people, and you didn’t care what would happen. And you repeatedly lied about it. You deserve to spend the maximum amount of time in prison allowable under our law. And I don’t make this decision because it’s easy, I make it because it’s what’s deserved, I make it because it’s what’s just,” said Michelini.
Monahan plans to appeal after multiple unsuccessful requests for a mistrial.
This is Aaron Shellow-Lavine for WAMC News in Fort Edward.
