INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied a request to overturn the conviction or reduce the sentence of Martin Villalon Jr., who at age 15 shot and killed another 15-year-old in a Hammond driveway.
Villalon, now 18, appealed his conviction on several points, from questioning the constitutionality of trying young murderers in the adult court system to claiming his 60-year prison sentence was excessive.
In a 3-0 ruling, the appeals court rejected each of Villalon's claims.
Villalon, who listed addresses in Crown Point and Whiting at the time of his crime, shot and killed John Shoulders, of Hammond, in the 1900 block of Warwick Avenue on Aug. 22, 2008.
According to court records, Villalon murdered Shoulders because he mistakenly believed Shoulders belonged to a rival gang.
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