US Man Sentenced To 100 Years In Prison For Causing Death Of Indian-Origin Girl

The total quantum of prison punishment given to Smith also includes 20 years for obstruction of justice and 20 years for aggravated battery, for separate convictions associated with Patel's slaying.

Smith was sentenced after he was convicted of killing Patel in January 2021.

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A district judge in the US, John D Mosely, has sentenced a 35-year-old man identified as Joseph Lee Smith from Shreveport to 100 years of hard labour for causing the death of a 5-year-old Indian-origin girl in the US state of Louisiana in 2021. The Judge sentenced Smith in connection with the March 2021 slaying of Mya Patel.

News agency PTI cited local media as reporting that the total quantum of prison punishment given to Smith also includes 20 years for obstruction of justice and 20 years for aggravated battery, for separate convictions associated with Patel's slaying. 

The court observed that all these terms must be served without any benefit of probation, parole or reduction of sentence in the case.

The Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office said, "The terms were enhanced by Smith being a repeat felony offender and must be served consecutively, for a total of 100 years," as cited by PTI.

Smith was sentenced after he was convicted of killing Patel in January 2021, local media said.

The incident took place when Patel was playing in a hotel room on Monkhouse Drive. A bullet entered her room and struck her in the head.  Later, she was taken to a nearby hospital, where she struggled for about three days.

However, she was later declared dead on March 23, 2021, in the US state of Louisiana.

During her ongoing trial in the past, it was found and presented to the jury that Smith got himself involved in a fight and altercation with another man in the parking area of the Super 8 Motel hotel.

Coincidently, May and her younger sibling lived there on the ground floor with Vimal and Snehal Patel, who owned and operated the hotel.

At the time of the altercation, Smith hit another man with a 9-mm handgun, which ultimately discharged. The bullet missed hitting another man as the target and went inside the hotel room and hit  Patel in her head, PTI reported.