Convicted 169 Shooter Sentenced to Life in Prison

(KNSI) — A Chicago man found guilty of murder in a road rage-related shooting last summer will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jamal Smith was accused of shooting and killing Jay Boughton as the two drove on Highway 169 in Plymouth on July 6th, 2021. The 34-year-old Smith was charged with first and second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted on all three counts in July of 2022.

The criminal complaint says the initial call was for a crash near 169 and Rockford Road. When they arrived, paramedics discovered Boughton had been shot in the head. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Boughton’s son told investigators there was a brief altercation between his father and another vehicle. He said Boughton gestured to the other driver after they began moving toward them. He said the other driver was next to their vehicle for about ten seconds, and then he heard a loud noise and saw the driver’s side window had shattered and noticed a small hole in it. He said their vehicle went off the road and crashed, and he noticed his father was bleeding, so he called 911.

Investigators say they tracked the suspect vehicle to an impound lot after an alert tow truck driver saw the media release with the vehicle description and called it in. Additional evidence and witness statements allegedly connected the 34-year-old Smith to the murder weapon and the suspect vehicle.

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