In a case he said “cries out for punishment,” a judge sentenced a Milwaukee man Thursday to 50 years in prison for the death of a 13-month-old boy. Twenty-two-year-old Darmequaye Cohil was convicted in December of first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Bill Thao was killed when Cohil and three other men shot the wrong house in a dispute with another drug dealer, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The victim, known as Baby Bill, was playing on the floor at a relative’s house on December 27, 2014, when the home was riddled by 41 shots fired from the street. The little boy was struck and killed by one of those bullets.
Calling Cohil’s actions “outrageous and evil,” Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner followed the state’s recommendation of 40 years for the homicide, plus 10 years for the lesser charge, followed by a total of 25 years of extended supervision. “Why should there be hope for yourself?” Wagner asked. “There shouldn’t be.”