Man Gets Life in Prison for 'Loud Music' Murder

A Florida man convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting a teenager in an argument over loud music outside a Jacksonville convenience store was sentenced today to life in prison without parole. The life sentence imposed by Circuit Judge Russell Healey was mandatory for 47-year-old Michael Dunn after prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty. "Mr. Dunn, your life is effectively over," Healey said. "What is sad ... is that this case exemplifies that our society seems to have lost its way." Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder at a second trial in September after jurors deadlocked on the charge at his initial trial in February.

Prosecutors say Dunn, who is white, fired 10 times into a sport utility vehicle carrying black teenagers in November 2012 and killed 17-year-old Jordan Davis of Marietta, Georgia. Evidence showed that Dunn, of Satellite Beach, fired the shots during a heated argument over the volume of music coming from the SUV carrying Davis and three other teenagers. Dunn was convicted of three counts of second-degree murder in his first trial because he continued to fire into the Dodge Durango as the driver tried to flee. Healey today sentenced him to a minimum of 60 years in prison for those charges, to be served consecutively with the life sentence. (More Michael Dunn stories.)