FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — The man convicted in a 2021 deadly shooting in east central Fresno learned his punishment on Thursday.
Jeffrey Emmett was sentenced to 26 years and eight months for the killing of 28-year-old Nikilas Cornwell.
The shooting happened on Clinton and Argyle during an argument over a cellphone.
The defense attorney had argued Emmett acted in self-defense and didn’t intend for the gun to go off when Cornwell swung a metal pole at him.
The victim was shot in the head and died at the hospital.
Tina Cornwell, the mother of the victim, shared how the crime still impacts their family nearly four years later.
“What I can’t hear anymore is the sound of the strum of his guitar, the beat of his drums, the sound of his voice singing,” she said. “Nothing will be fair or right in this matter because we don’t get our son back. However, we are thankful that Jeffrey Emmett will face the consequences of his actions.”
Tina added that following her son’s death, she got a degree in psychology and will now pursue her master’s in grief and bereavement to help others going through loss.
