A man convicted of killing an Illinois family learned his fate Thursday, more than two years after the murder.
Malcolm Hardy, who was 16 when the murders occurred, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder for the February 2022 deaths of Aaron Benson, LaShon Marshall, and her son, Caleb Harris, 5. During court Thursday morning, Hardy was sentenced to 28 to 60 years for each of the three murders, FOX 2 Detroit reports.
Court testimony revealed that Hardy and his friends did various jobs for Benson, including delivering marijuana. A friend of the defendant testified that on the night of the murders, he saw Hardy and his twin brother leave together, and when they returned, Hardy was holding Benson’s gun.
The friend also testified that Hardy claimed Benson grabbed his shirt and tried to punch him, prompting Hardy to grab Benson’s gun and shoot him.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the victims were found with multiple gunshot wounds when a family member went to check on them after not hearing from them for several days.
Hardy said he accidentally shot his girlfriend in the buttocks before shooting her in the head, killing her. Hardy then killed Caleb because he feared Caleb would “snitch on him.”
In total, 22 shots were fired. Benson and Caleb were each shot nine times, and Marshall was shot four times.
During a 2022 hearing, Judge Kenneth King pointed out inconsistencies in Hardy’s self-defense claim regarding Benson. He noted that Hardy had time to reflect between the shootings, indicating premeditation for murder.
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[Feature Photo: Caleb Harris/Family Handout]
