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Man sentenced to 54 years in prison for 2013 slaying

Posted March 02, 2018 6:00 am

The Associated Press

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago man found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of an alleged drug dealer has been sentenced to 54 years in prison.

Philip Vatamaniuc (Va-tah-muh-NOH'-ic) was convicted in April 2017 for the 2013 shooting death of Colin Nutter of Highland Park. The 22-year-old Vatamaniuc was sentenced Friday.

Lake County prosecutors say Vatamaniuc, Benjamin Schenk and Michael Coffee met with Nutter to buy marijuana from him.

The prosecutors say they were in Nutter's car when the victim was shot in the back of the head. The others allegedly helped put the body in the trunk and dumped it.

Nutter's body was found dumped by the side of a frontage road in Wilmette by a girl walking a dog.

Schenk pleaded guilty in 2016 to first-degree murder. Coffee, who initially was deemed unfit to stand trial because of his mental health, is scheduled for trial Sept. 4.

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