Shooter who murdered five-year-old child because he was 'going to speak out' sentenced to 28 to 60 years in prison

A man who murdered a family, including a five-year-old boy, in a Detroit home has been sentenced to a maximum of 60 years in prison.

Malcom Ray Hardy, 18, pleaded guilty earlier this year to three counts of second-degree murder for shooting and killing Aaron Benson, LaShon Marshall and his son, Caleb Harris, in February 2022, FOX 2 reported Detroit.

He committed the gruesome murders when he was just 16 years old, but that didn't stop a judge from sentencing Hardy to 28 to 60 years in prison on each of three counts of second-degree murder, which will run concurrently.

Sentenced to two years in prison for illegally carrying a weapon, Hardy will have to serve at least 30 years in prison.

Based on Hardy's prior relationship with Marshall's boyfriend Benson, it is believed he was the primary target the night of the shooting, but Hardy ended up killing little Caleb because he was afraid the boy would “riddle him,” according to previous court testimony.

Hardy and several of his friends ran errands for Benson, such as delivering weed, FOX 2 Detroit reported.

A friend of Hardy's who saw him the night of the triple murder testified that Hardy came home with Benson's gun.

That friend also testified that Hardy acted in self-defense, saying Hardy told him that Benson grabbed his shirt and tried to punch him.

According to this first version of events, it was Benson's escalation of violence that caused Hardy to grab Benson's gun and shoot him.

Hardy then allegedly told the friend that he had accidentally shot Marshall in the buttocks before shooting him in the head.

His last victim was Marshall's son Caleb. Twenty-two shots were fired, with Caleb and Benson both being hit by nine bullets. Marshall was hit by four bullets.

At a 2022 hearing, Judge Kenneth King did not believe Hardy's story that he acted in self-defense, and Hardy would later admit his guilt.

On Thursday, the day of sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements about the crime, one of the most devastating being from Marshall's sister.

“My sister decided to give you a chance in life because she could relate to the lifestyle you led,” Chenell Marshall told the court. “My sister cared about you. … LaShon had so much life to give to the world and you stopped him for your own selfish reasons.

She then turned to a senseless act of cruelty against her nephew.

“Caleb, the name you should never forget, was unable to see life beyond the age of five. You took the life of a precious baby who was innocent,” she said.

“You're the one who took him to the store and played with him. My nephew's life wasn't worth taking by the hand.

In her victim impact statement, Caleb's grandmother said her grandson's death “has devastated our entire family, especially his siblings.”

“I have 32 grandchildren,” she said. “This young man stole something from me… Today he would have been eight years old. The week after he was murdered would have been his birthday.

“He was so small and so innocent, why did you do that?” “, Caleb’s grandmother asked the killer in tears. “God asks us to forgive, but this is something I have not forgiven this young man for. »

Hardy wore a face mask in court and stood behind plexiglass barriers as he listened wordlessly to the people whose lives he had upended with his crime.

After the victim impact statements were read, Hardy addressed them and apologized.

“I apologize to the court, to the family and to everyone in the world. I didn’t intend for this to happen, and I pray for their family and mine,” Hardy said.

Judge Wanda A. Evans, who sentenced Hardy, said she hoped the family “finds some peace” now that the consequences have been handed down.

“It won’t be easy, the pain will be there for a while, I sincerely hope you can find some peace,” Evans said.

After 30 years, Hardy will be eligible for parole and will be 48 years old.