BLOOMINGTON (25News Now) – A McLean County judge has ordered a Georgia man to spend the rest of his life in prison for the shooting death of a teenager in 2022, just weeks before the boy was to graduate from Peoria’s Richwoods High School.
Judge Jason Chambers sentenced Tomiyale M. Anderson, 23, on Tuesday. A jury in August found Anderson guilty of killing Kany’e Stowers, 17, at a house party in the 400 block of East Mill Street in Bloomington.
At trial, prosecutors argued the evidence, including surveillance video, social media posts, witness testimony, and a rap song from Anderson, proved he was the one who killed Stowers on April 8, 2022.
The defense claimed the state’s case relied heavily on speculation, pointing to witnesses who could not remember details from the night of the shooting and questioned whether surveillance video, cellphone location data, and ballistic evidence could definitively place Anderson as the shooter.
The defense attorney also argued that violent rap song lyrics do not prove Anderson was the killer.
Before Tuesday’s sentencing, Judge Chambers denied a defense motion for a new trial, which is typically an initial step before appealing to a higher court.
McLean County State’s Attorney Erika Reynolds released the following statement:
“There is nothing the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office can do to lessen the loss felt by the victim’s family and friends in this case. The absence this senseless act left will forever be felt by those who loved the victim. However, we are hoping that our efforts in removing Anderson from the community will provide some peace.”
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