Two Michigan men have been sentenced to die behind bars after being convicted of murdering a 72‑year-old jeweller they targeted for robbery. The men —convicted of first‑degree felony murder — planned the crime by pretending to be gas‑company workers checking for leaks.
The victim’s home was invaded on consecutive days. On the first day, the jeweller and his wife refused entry when the suspects claimed they needed to inspect the house.
The next day, the men returned; the victim asked them to check the basement. Once inside, they tied up his wife before brutally attacking him. The victim died of horrific injuries including severe neck trauma.
During trial, prosecutors presented text messages between the suspects and their families, showing the pair plotted the burglary with dreams of “buying a house” and living a life of comfort.
One message from the suspect’s wife reportedly read, “I hope we get enough money to buy a house,” and the suspect replied, “Our own home.”
At sentencing, the judge condemned the killers’ actions as a “cowardice act” born of greed and envy, saying the crime displayed a chilling loss of humanity. He rejected any explanation of desperation, stressing that the men invaded a kind man’s home with deliberate intent.
The convicted duo will serve life sentences without the possibility of parole — a judgment meant to reflect the cruelty of their crime and the value of the victim’s life that was callously ended for material gain.