DETROIT – Christian “CJ” Miller’s mother said her life will never be the same after her 3-year-old boy was killed in a road rage shooting in Jan. 2019.
The family was on their way to see Sesame Street Live at the Fox Theater in Detroit in Jan. 2019 when CJ was killed. Michigan State Police said Derrick Durham fired at their vehicle on the Southfield Freeway in a fit of road rage. Durham was sentenced on Tuesday to 70 to 100 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Tamika Whitley gave a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing that included videos of her son singing and laughing.
“He meant so much to me,” Whitley said before sharing a home video.
“You really hurt me. My life is upside down because of this,” Whitley said.
This is the third time the case was tried. The first trial ended in a hung jury, the second because of juror misconduct. Durham was convicted of several charges including second-degree murder and sentenced to 70-100 years in prison.
Durham did not speak during the hearing. He was also sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for firing a weapon from a vehicle.