Sanders, 29, was found guilty last month of murder, felonious assault and having weapons under disability for the April 1, 2014 murder of Smith at College Hill Park.
Sanders was ordered to pay court costs and restitution of $6,111.61 for Smith’s funeral. Sanders, credited with 281 days of jail-time credit, faces a May 18 trial date for a separate possession of heroin charge. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves a minimum of 18 years.
Smith was 28.
“When people talk about April Fool’s Day, it will mean something completely different for me for the rest of my life,” Smith’s mother, Mary, told Judge Michael Tucker. “The pain I feel can not be qualified. The hurt in my heart is so deep. I am drenched in my sadness and I feel a burning sense of justice.”
Prosecutors said after getting skunked by Smith’s friend in a 1-on-1 basketball game, Sanders didn’t like being teased, so he shot Smith five times in the back, neck, arm, stomach and chest in broad daylight in a crowded park.
Sanders then walked over to Smith and “delivered the execution shot, directly to the victim’s head, within 24 inches of his body,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Smith’s mother asked Sanders, “What are we so angry about that we decide the only solution is to take another person’s life? What could be so serious that we decided that death is the answer?”
Sanders, who claimed self-defense and that Smith had a weapon, turned to the crowded courtroom gallery and apologized.
“But still, I feel that I did what was right at that moment even though it happened and I’m sorry, but it could have easily been me as well as him,” said Sanders, who also apologized to his own family.
“If you … can take that in your heart to forgive me or just, if it takes a long period of time, just someway, somehow, try to, because I’m not the person the news try to make me to be or these people (prosecutors) make me to be,” Sanders continued. “I’m not no animal, no bad guy. None of that. Everyone who knows me knows that.”
Defense attorney Anthony Cicero said, “I think everybody there was just trying to make sense of a community and a society in which guns are so prevalent that they’re on a basketball court,” adding that Sanders will appeal.
Prosecutors wrote that Sanders took the stand in his own defense and offered false testimony.
“The fact of the matter is that this defendant was embarrassed by what the victim was saying and to combat that he grabbed a gun and executed him,” prosecutor Cynthia Mullins wrote.
Update@2 p.m. (April 1):
A year to the day after shooting to death Aaron “Skittles” Smith on a Dayton basketball court, Charles L. “Chucky” Sanders Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years to life in prison.
Sanders, 29, must also pay $6,000 in restitution and court costs, a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge ruled. He had been found guilty of murder, felonious assault and having weapons under disability last month for the April 1, 2014 murder of Smith at College Hill Park. Smith was 28.
Prosecutors said after getting skunked by Smith’s friend in a 1-on-1 basketball game, Sanders didn’t like being teased, so he shot Smith five times in the back, neck, arm, stomach and chest in broad daylight in a crowded park.
Then, Sanders walked over to the fallen Smith and “delivered the execution shot, directly to the victim’s head, within 24 inches of his body,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum asking for the maximum of 21 years.
Prosecutors said Sanders took the stand in his own defense and offered false testimony, showing he has not taken responsibility.
“The fact of the matter is that this Defendant was embarrassed by what the victim was saying and to combat that he grabbed a gun and executed him,” prosecutor Cynthia Mullins wrote.
Update @12:30 p.m. (March 19):
A jury found Charles Sanders guilty on all counts with specifications Thursday for the murder of Aaron “Skittles” Smith. Sanders was on trial this week for shooting Smith multiple times after a basketball game at Dayton’s College Hill Park in 2014. Sanders was charged with murder, felonious assault and having weapons while under disability.
His bond was revoked and his sentencing was scheduled for April 1.
First take (March 16):
Charles L. “Chuckie” Sanders got skunked in a 1-on-1 basketball game for money and didn’t like being teased by his opponent’s friend, so Sanders took out his gun and shot the man several times, prosecutors alleged Monday during Sanders’ murder trial.
Sanders, 29, faces six counts including murder, felonious assault and having weapons while under disability in connection with the April 1, 2014 shooting death of Aaron “Skittles” Smith at Dayton’s College Hill Park. Smith, 28, was found shot several times at about 6:40 p.m. that day.
Opening statements began Monday in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court courtroom of Judge Michael Tucker.
“‘I’m sorry. I (messed) up.’ That’s what this defendant told (witness) Josh Hayes minutes after he gunned down and executed Aaron Sinclair Smith in a crowded College Hill Park in broad daylight,” Montgomery County assistant prosecutor Cynthia Mullins told a jury of eight women and four men. “On April 1, 2014, Aaron Smith was executed because this defendant didn’t like the words that came out of his mouth.”
Hayes testified he held Sanders’ gun while Sanders played a game against Jack “J-Money” Parks. Hayes also said he tried to calm down Sanders and Smith before Sanders asked for his gun.
“Josh hands over the gun to the defendant, thinking he’s going to leave,” Mullins told the jury. “The defendant starts walking away. He walks by Aaron Sinclair Smith, gives him a little shoulder bump, turns around, delivers five shots. Five. Hitting him in the chest. Ripping through his heart. Hitting him in the stomach. Ripping through his liver. Hit him in the neck.
“Aaron Smith fell to the cold, hard concrete. He laid there. Bleeding. Dying. And what did this defendant do? He walked over, stood over top of him and delivered that one final shot, executing Aaron Smith by shooting him in the head in front of all those people.”
Defense attorney Anthony Cicero disputed the state’s version.
“This is an easy case,” Cicero said during opening statements. “It’s a simple case. It’s a case about basketball. It’s a case about bullying and it’s a case about beating a guy on the draw.”
Cicero said Smith’s blood-alcohol limit was twice the legal limit and that Smith started poking his fingers into Sanders’ face.
“At some point, Charles realized that this “Skittles” had different intentions than simply to fistfight,” Cicero said. “When he went to draw his gun, Charles ran over to Josh to get his, moved out of the way so that people would not be in the line of fire if Skittles was indeed going to shoot and Skittles drew, and Charles fired back. That’s not murder, ladies and gentlemen, but that’s what the evidence will show.”
The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
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