Teen gets up to 80 years in prison for murdering 71-year-old grandfather
A teen has been sentenced to spend up to 80 years behind bars for her role in the murder of her grandfather.
Gabriella Long, 18, was sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison on Monday after she pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of her grandfather, 71-year-old Joseph Monka, in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania last year.
Long was 17 when she and her three friends – Christopher Cortez, Devin Cunningham and Mercedes Hall – ambushed and killed Monka, prosecutors said.
Police said Long called her grandfather and pretended to be in distress. When he arrived, Cortez and Cunningham surprised Monka, stabbed him dozens of times and beat him with a golf club, according to The Citizen.
Afterward, the four defendants stole approximately $30,000 in cash from Monka’s safe and fled in his vehicle, prosecutors said.
Long was the third person to plead guilty in the case of her grandfather’s murder.
Cortez pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in June. He was subsequently sentenced to 35 and 80 years in prison.
Hall, who was 16 years old during the murder, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in Decenber although she has not yet been sentenced.
Cunningham has not entered a plea or gone to trial yet. He is charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, theft and robbery.
After Long’s hearing on Monday, her lawyer, Jarrett Ferentino, told The Citizen that he could not comment in detail on the case because Cunningham’s case is still open.
Ferentino said Long is likely to spend at least 40 to 50 years in prison.
Long’s guilty plea was a part of a plea deal that saw prosecutors withdraw additional charges the teen faced, including theft and tampering with evidence.
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