LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Three men charged in the robbery and shooting death of a University of Kentucky student were sentenced to decades in prison Thursday.
A judge sentenced Roman Gonzalez to 35 years in prison, Justin Smith to 34 years and Efrain Diaz Jr. to 20 years, including time served, LEX 18 reports.
Jonathan Krueger, 22, was shot and killed in April 2015 during a robbery while walking with a friend near the Lexington campus. Krueger was a communications major and the photo editor of the Kentucky Kernel, UK's student newspaper.Â
The trial was pushed back several times because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a question about the death penalty that went all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
At Thursday's sentencing hearing, Krueger's family spoke about the impact of his death seven years ago.
"As a sister I was promised a lifetime of memories with my brother," said Elizabeth Roberts, Krueger's sister. "Instead, his life was cut painfully and unnecessarily and tragically short."
The Kernel started a memorial fund in 2015 to remember Krueger's life. The annual endowed scholarship is awarded by the Kernel Press Inc. to a promising Kernel photographer.
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- 3 men plead guilty 7 years after murder of UK student
- Scholarship fund will honor Jonathan Krueger, UK student shot and killed Friday
- Friends, community members gather to remember slain University of Kentucky student
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