INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the conviction and sentence of an East Chicago man involved in the 2007 execution-style shooting death of 19-year-old Dominique Keesee.

Khalid Jackson-Bey, 21, was convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to 65 years in prison for the slaying.

According to court records, Jackson-Bey and several East Chicago gang members went to Keesee's East Chicago apartment pretending they wanted to buy marijuana from him. When Keesee went to retrieve the drugs, they forced their way into his home, shot Keesee and stole the marijuana.

Keesee was shot 15 times by two different .22-caliber weapons.

The appeals court rejected Jackson-Bey's claim that he was only trying to buy marijuana from Keesee and did not intend to kill him.

"Jackson-Bey was part of the planning session to 'hit a lick' at a residence that had been 'scoped out,'" the court said. "He was armed with a pistol and knew that one of the others in the group was also armed."

Given those facts, the court ruled 3-0 that there was sufficient evidence to "conclude that Jackson-Bey knowingly participated in Keesee's murder."

Jackson-Bey's prior arrests for aggravated battery and multiple robberies justify the 65-year prison sentence, the court said.