After a week of trial and a deliberation that lasted roughly three hours, a jury has found Cortez Hairston Jr. guilty in the fatal shooting of Adrian Acree.
They found him guilty of one count of first-degree murder, and following that verdict, immediately moved into the sentencing phase of trial, where they had to consider if they wanted to give him a sentence of 20 to 50 years, or life in prison. His attorney, Rob Eggert, asked the jury to consider a 20-year sentence.
Ultimately, a jury of his peers recommended a sentence of 30 years after deliberating for roughly half an hour.
Hairston was convicted of fatally shooting Acree multiple times at a location on Jones Street in 2021. Co-defendant Jaila Sherrod has already entered a guilty plea to her role in the murder—which was to establish a relationship with Acree and bring him to the location where he would be shot and killed—to facilitation to murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Another co-defendant in the case, Dekorian Daniel, is charged with complicity to murder and is still awaiting trial.
Final sentencing for Hairston was set for January 2.