Chicago man gets 20 years for Aurora drug murder
A Chicago man who left his DNA-laden baseball cap at a murder scene was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for his role in the robbery and slaying of an Aurora drug dealer.
Michael A. Costner Jr., 24, pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of 36-year-old Gregory Riley, who was gunned down in August 2009 on Aurora’s far west side.
Costner had faced 20 to 60 years in prison but received the minimum term in an agreement with DuPage County prosecutors.
The plea deal required him to give a taped statement about his role in the killing and to testify against co-defendant Antonio Clark if ever called to the stand.
Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Scaliatine said both defendants met Riley on the 1100 block of Brunswick Lane under a ruse of buying drugs.
Instead, he said, the victim was repeatedly shot, and about three pounds of marijuana were stolen from the trunk of his car.
Aurora police arrived about 11:30 p.m. to find Riley lying in the roadway about 15 feet from his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso and chest.
At the scene, police found the trunk of Riley’s car open, along with gym shoes and a White Sox hat on the ground next to the vehicle. DNA recovered from the hat later led authorities to Costner, Scaliatine said.
“There were apparent signs of a struggle inside the vehicle,” he told Judge Kathryn Creswell, who accepted Costner’s plea.
Police pulled over Clark and his older brother, both of Aurora, for minor traffic violations within minutes of the slaying. During the stop, prosecutors said, officers found about three pounds of cannabis under the hood and hidden in the car.
Clark, 22, was sentenced to 17 years in prison earlier this month in exchange for his guilty plea to armed robbery and his willingness to testify against Costner.
By law, Costner must serve the full 20 years, with credit for time spent in the county jail since Aug. 31, 2009.
Authorities said his prior criminal history included conspiracy to commit robbery and theft.