PEORIA, Ill. – A man will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2023 murder at a gas station in Peoria’s Central Bluff.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office says Amorta Nelson was sentenced to 73 years in total to the Illinois Department of Corrections on Wednesday for the death of 33-year-old Antonio Hardy.
Nelson was found guilty in November of First-Degree Murder and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. Nelson was sentenced to 63 years on the murder conviction, and 10 years on the weapon conviction.
The incident occurred at the Coopers gas station at Sheridan and McClure on September 18th, 2023. Nelson had shot Hardy three times in the back while Hardy was pumping gas, then once in the head after Hardy had fallen to the ground.
At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Alferink argued the shooting was an execution that was carried out for a reason that may never be known. She also noted the shooting’s impact on Hardy’s family and loved ones, with his mother talking about Hardy’s death as the loss of her legacy and future that includes the chance to experience grandchildren.
Judge Katherine Gorman noted that Nelson had an opportunity to improve himself, but acted out in a way that could not be tolerated.
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