Convicted murderer, Rease Pence, was found guilty and sentenced for the First-Degree Premeditated Murder of 14-year-old Gavin Blankenship, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Receiving and Concealing a Stolen Motor Vehicle, and Felony Firearm.

This all occurred on May 12, 2022, according to court documents. Pence was 17 at the time.

The assistant prosecuting attorney in this case filed a motion pursuant to Miller v. Alabama requesting the court sentence Pence to life without the possibility of parole based on the First-Degree Murder conviction

Court documents stated the Miller v. Alabama case held that sentencing a juvenile to life without the possibility of parole was cruel and unusual punishment unless both mitigating and aggravating factors, including age of the defendant at the time of the murder, were considered.

A Miller hearing was held, and evidence was submitted to establish the aggravating factors.

At the sentencing hearing, the victim’s sister, aunt, and mother spoke also requesting life without the possibility of parole. The Miller hearing documents stated based on the defendant’s criminal behavior the appropriate sentence was life without the possibility of parole. 

The court denied the request and instead sentenced Pence to 40 years to 60 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections consecutive to the 122 and half year sentence Pence received in Indiana for the murders of Jamie Bins and Samnatha Lawson.

Following his sentencing, Pence was taken back to the Indiana Department of Corrections.