|
Listen: |
Miles’ son-in-law, Peter Hartz, wanted Eliason to stay in prison for the rest of his life.
|
Listen: |
Hartz criticized the more than a dozen family members of Eliason who were in court in Niles Friday to support him, saying if half of them had been there for the teen when he needed it, Jesse Miles would probably still be alive.
Eliason was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2010, but a U.S. Supreme Court ruling tossing out that harsh of a penalty juvenile offenders offered him the chance for parole. He was 14 when he shot Miles as he slept on his couch following several hours of premeditation. Eliason’s defense attorney pointed out that he has been a model citizen while incarcerated, has earned his GED, and has taught GED classes for other inmates. He broke down in tears as his grandmother addressed the court in support of him. Other family members of the victim, including his daughter and son-in-law, argued that Eliason should remain in prison without the chance for parole.
