A Buffalo man will spend at least 25 years in jail for the 2016 murder of a Lackawanna man.
22-year-old Christian Gillie was sentenced Monday in connection to the stabbing death of 23-year-old Robert Wheeler.
In the early morning hours of August 9, 2016, then 20-year-old Gillie broke into Wheeler's Johnson Street home and stabbed him more than 20 times, killing him. Gillie was arrested nearby by Lackawanna Police.
The early court proceedings were delayed by questions about Gillie's mental capacity and Gillie had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before hearings could move forward.
Gillie was ultimately deemed mentally competent and able to stand trial. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A jury found Gillie guilty of four charges in January: Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the First Degree, and two counts of Burglary in the First Degree.
Monday, Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case sentenced Gillie to 20 years to life on the charge of Murder in the Second Degree, 25 years on the charge of Manslaughter in the First Degree, and 18 years on each count of Burglary in the First Degree. All sentences will run concurrently.
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