EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An East St. Louis man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2005 murder of a Washington Park woman with an assault rifle.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An East St. Louis man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2005 murder of a Washington Park woman with an assault rifle. Gary Wingate was sentenced on Monday for Darlene Russell’s death. Circuit Judge Milton Wharton cited Wingate’s "extensive criminal history" in imposing the sentence. A jury found the 46-year-old guilty of first-degree murder in 2006. Wingate has said that on the day of the shooting, Russell’s husband asked him about a $30 debt. He alleges they argued and Russell’s husband punched him twice in the face. Prosecutors say Wingate fired 13 times with an assault rifle, hitting Russell. John Hipskind is Wingate’s lawyer. He asked the judge to impose a 20-year sentence and immediately filed an appeal. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.