Man Gets 35 Years in Prison For Killing Deli Clerk: Report

A 34-year-old man apologized for shooting a deli clerk in West Haven to death during a 2011 robbery before being sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to the New Haven Register.

Marquis Pettway, of New Haven, was sentenced on Wednesday in Milford Superior Court for the killing of Mohamed Bilal "Billy" Altinawi, 22, at a family-owned deli on Route 1. He pleaded guilty to murder in January.

Authorities said Pettway shot Altinawi point-blank in the face with a shotgun and made off with about $2,500, cigarettes and stamps.

The Register reports that Pettway apologized in court to Altinawi's relatives and friends. He said he can't change what he did and doesn't deserve mercy. Altinawi's relatives said they were devastated by his death.

Two co-defendants await sentencing on robbery charges.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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