Chris Lanes killer Chancey Luna avoids life sentence

AN American appeal court has dismissed the life sentence given to a teenager who was convicted of fatally shooting Australian baseballer Chris Lane three years ago.

Chancey Luna was tried as an adult in the killing of 22-year-old Chris Lane, who was shot while jogging along a road in southwestern Oklahoma. Luna, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In a court filing, Luna’s lawyer argued that life-without-parole was an unconstitutional sentence for a juvenile, and the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals agreed. The panel upheld Luna’s conviction and ordered a re-sentencing.

“A finding that Luna’s sentencing jury considered his youth with its attendant characteristics and his chances for rehabilitation in deciding punishment is simply not supported by the record,” the court’s opinion said.

“There was no evidence of important youth-related considerations, such as the juvenile’s chronological age and its hallmark features — among them immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.”

Lane, who was from Melbourne, was about to start his senior year at East Central University in Ada.

He was visiting his girlfriend’s family in Duncan, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, when he was killed. Investigators have said Lane was randomly targeted by bored teenagers, and three others have been convicted in the case.

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