A 47-year-old Illinois man was found guilty of shooting and killing a young mother in front of her toddler last January in Joliet, according to reports.
Jermaine Mandley shot his girlfriend, 24-year-old Maya Smith, several times in the abdomen and head while she was parked in an alley on Jan. 8 near the 1200 block of Clement Street. Smith’s 2-year-old daughter was in the backseat.
Mandley was seen on surveillance video standing in the doorway of the vehicle with what appeared to be muzzle flashes going off. Mandley shut the car door and ran away. His fingerprints were found on the inside door handle of the car. Mandley also appeared on a Ring video camera at a friend’s house down the block roughly four minutes later.
Text messages on Smith’s phone revealed she had agreed to meet him prior to the shooting. Mandley was supposed to work the next day but did not show up. He was later found in Chicago.
A jury found Mandley guilty on all three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of endangering the life or health of a child.
Smith’s 2-year-old daughter was in the backseat.
Mandley faces 45 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7.
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