The Norwich man found guilty of murder back in April will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Jeremy Coates was sentenced to life without parole for the 2016 murder of 58-year-old David Green in Green's Oxford home. Vince Briga caught up with the Chenango County district attorney, who says the area is now a safer place to live.
NORWICH, N.Y. -- A robbery in an Oxford home leaves one man dead and another in prison for life.
Back in 2016, Jeremy Coates entered the home of 58-year-old James Green, looking to steal money, marijuana and guns.
The crime would take a deadly turn, as Coates stuck Green over the head with multiple items in the home.
On Friday, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
"The most important is to hold those accountable for the crimes they've committed to make sure that everybody in our community is safe," said Joseph McBride, Chenango County District Attorney.
Coates was helped by his girlfriend Melissa Crispell, who knew the victim.
She was originally charged with second degree murder, but pleaded to first degree burglary.
She will spend 15 years behind bars.
"By giving Miss Crispell that plea bargain, it ensured that Mr. Coates would be responsible and convicted and sentenced to life without parole," said McBride.
This isn't the first time Coates has been in trouble with the law, back in 1994, he was found guilty of first degree robbery and the DA says with all of that crime history it should have never gotten to this point.
His crimes date all the way back to age 17.
"Every time that someone's released from jail when they've committed a violent crime, there's always a question regarding people in law enforcement of whether or not a community is going to be at risk. He should have been in jail his entire life," said McBride.
During sentencing, the judge said Coates was a threat to everyone in the courtroom.
He also called the crime senseless, and pointed to the suspect's life of crime.
"We can’t look back and fix that problem but we can look forward and make sure he's never released again and that he's never a danger in Chenango County or wherever he's released to," said McBride.
And the DA says this sentence will make sure he won't pose a threat again.
Coates was also sentenced to 25 years to life on two counts of second-degree murder.