40-year prison term for gang member who murdered a member of the 'opposition'

Sep. 5—URBANA — A 19-year-old Urbana man who admitted he fatally shot a rival gang member in late 2021 was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison.

Because Andrew Byrd, who listed an address in the 1100 block of Austin Drive, was 17 when he murdered Jordan Atwater-Lewis, also 17, he may be considered for parole after serving only 20 years under legislation recently enacted in Illinois.

In an emotionally draining two-hour sentencing hearing attended by family members of both youths, State's Attorney Julia Rietz noted that Byrd turned 18 a mere four hours after killing Mr. Atwater-Lewis in a scheme that she said demonstrated a "level of planning and preparation."

"Nothing about the circumstances of this offense should be considered as mitigation," argued Rietz, urging Judge Randy Rosenbaum to sentence him to 45 years in prison.

Byrd's attorney, Ed Piraino of Champaign, asked Rosenbaum to consider a sentence between 20 and 30 years so that his client, who took full responsibility for his role in the killing of Mr. Atwater-Lewis, might have a chance at a life after prison.

Piraino said there was nothing he could do to change the fact that Mr. Atwater-Lewis will have no chance to marry or have children.

"Hopefully, we can save one," he argued.

The facts of the crime were that at about 8 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2021, Byrd was with other young members of the GTBs, also armed, who went to a house in the 1600 block of West Hunter Street in Urbana, where Mr. Atwater-Lewis was spending the night with his friends from the 23 Bs gang.

Byrd used Snapchat messages to coax Mr. Atwater-Lewis out of the house, then fired on him when he stepped onto the porch, apparently intent on protecting his friends.

Evidence recovered at the scene showed that Mr. Atwater-Lewis was also armed and fired one shot. At least 16 shots were fired at him from two different guns carried by men on the street, including Byrd, who did not want to go to trial and made only a brief statement when given a chance to address the judge.

"I do apologize for what I did, and if I could take it back, I would," Byrd said.

Byrd had pleaded guilty to the murder in July with the promise from the prosecutor that she would not seek the gun enhancement of an extra 25 years in prison on top of the normal sentence for murder of 20 to 60 years.

To aggravate Byrd's sentence, Rietz had Urbana police detective Rich Coleman testify about information he found on Byrd's phone that showed for months prior to the shooting Byrd was posting photos and videos of himself on Snapchat with five different guns — none of which were the murder weapon — and a declaration that he had Ecstasy for sale.

She also had Mr. Atwater-Lewis' younger sister, his uncle and his grandmother testify about the profound effect his death has had on each of them. None was able to put into writing what they wanted to tell the judge because it was too difficult, they said.

But Joanne Lewis told Rosenbaum that she had raised her grandson since he was 3 and that he had plans to serve in the Marines when he turned 18.

"He was smart. He played the clarinet. He played baseball, football. He had a job at Home Depot," she said, explaining he chose to work there to avoid conflict with peers.

Lewis conceded that her grandson was not an angel but said that every time he made a mistake she was there to love and support him and try to get him back on the right path.

"It's been 615 days. I count the hours, minutes and seconds," she said, choking back tears. "I miss my grandson."

Piraino had Byrd's mother, Nina Williams, testify about her son, who had never been arrested, much less convicted of any crimes, was working at the Eden Supportive Living Center in downtown Champaign, was able to manage his sickle cell anemia, and never fathered any children.

"Andrew is a good kid," she said.

In her argument, Rietz said Byrd had a stable upbringing and nothing in his past that Rosenbaum could consider as "childhood trauma" that the Legislature had laid out as a reason to mitigate his sentence.

"No one made him affiliate himself with a local gang. No one made him illegally obtain a firearm that he was not licensed or trained to carry. No one made him carry that gun around a residential neighborhood looking for 'the opposition.' No one made him do anything that night," she argued.

"In so many ways, Jordan and Andrew were more alike than they were 'opposition,'" she said.

"Jordan was also 17. Jordan also had a family who loved him. Jordan also had his whole life in front of him. And Jordan did not have to go out on the front porch any more than this defendant had to be walking around that neighborhood looking for him," she argued, calling the victim's response to Byrd's taunts a "stupid" decision.

Rosenbaum called "disturbing" the evidence that Coleman uncovered on Byrd's phone about the guns.

"What is so tragic is that young people in our country are glamorizing guns, the gang lifestyle and drugs," said Rosenbaum, repeating his familiar lament that no one resolves disputes with fists anymore.

He also called "tragic" the fact that many young people are living lives that their parents and families know nothing about.

"No sentence will make everybody happy," Rosenbaum said.

He gave Byrd credit for 553 days he's already served.

Co-defendant Kamron Williams, 18, of Urbana, is set to be back in court on his murder charges Sept. 13.