17-year-old sentenced to 80 years for 2009 murder

Online Staff Report

Deantonio Layne, 17, was sentenced to 80 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Judge Ronald White Oct. 20. Layne was found guilty for the offense of first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after a jury trial Sept. 20.

Aug. 5, 2009, Rockford police were dispatched to the 100 block of Oakwood Avenue in reference to a subject who had been shot. Upon arrival, Rockford police observed a subject, later identified as Christopher M. Fryer, lying in the grass in the front yard of 115 Oakwood. Fryer was bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to his neck.

Witnesses stated Fryer had come to 1204 Mulberry to visit friends. When he arrived there, Layne was inside. When Layne saw Fryer, he pulled out a handgun and fired through a window at Fryer, who was on the sidewalk and was struck by that bullet. After firing the first shot, Layne came out of the house on Mulberry, and continued to fire at Layne four more times, as Fryer was running away. Fryer collapsed when he reached the yard at 115 Oakwood. He was unresponsive when paramedics arrived.

Layne fled the scene and gave the gun to a family friend. The gun was recovered the next day. Fryer died as a result of the gunshot wound to his neck.

First-degree murder is a class M felony with a penalty range of 20 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, plus three years MSR with an additional 25 years to natural life for personally discharging a firearm that proximately caused the death of another. Aggravated unlawful use of weapon is a class 4 felony with a sentencing range of one to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, plus one year MSR.