A Minneapolis man who faced murder charges after killing the mother of his daughter on Thanksgiving Day in 2019 has been sentenced after being found guilty on Oct. 23.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Randall Watkins, 41, was sentenced to 40 years in jail. The sentence comes just a few short weeks after a Hennepin County jury convicted Watkins on a string of charges, including “intentional second-degree murder, unintentional second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm” for the murder of his daughter’s mother, 27-year-old Raven Gant, according to KARE 11.
It has been reported that the grisly murder took place in front of their 2-year-old daughter.
A press release from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s office has confirmed that the 40-year sentence was the highest Watkins could receive. Freeman also commended the attorneys on the case for “obtaining the maximum sentence possible.”
“The attorneys on this case did a great job in obtaining the maximum sentence possible for Mr. Watkins, who so tragically shot and killed Raven Gant, the mother of their child, on Thanksgiving a year ago,” Freeman said in the release.
He added, “What makes this all the more devastating, is that their child was present when her mother was killed. Domestic violence cases like these are heartbreaking, and we hope the family of Ms. Gant can find solace now that Mr. Watkins has been sentenced, and the case has concluded.”
