A 19-year-old man will serve more than five decades in prison for killing an Illinois State University graduate.
Tyjohn Williams was found guilty of murder in a bench trial last fall. On Monday, a Champaign County judge sentenced him to 55 years for his role in Kristian “KP” Philpotts' death, court records confirmed.
Philpotts was killed in 2022 during an attempted robbery after picking up three teenagers, including Williams, who had scheduled a ride using the ride share app Lyft.
"This was a senseless crime. There was no motive for this to happen," presiding Judge Randall Rosenbaum said during Monday's sentencing hearing. "The victim in this case, Mr. Philpotts, was shot in the back and didn't know what was going to happen. It caused the car to crash and he was left there."
Philpotts' mother, Marla Rice, has said Philpotts was driving for Lyft to save money for veterinary school, hoping to attend the University of Illinois. He studied pre-veterinary science at ISU and Eastern Illinois University.
In 2023, five cities signed a joint declaration honoring Philpotts' legacy in Central Illinois. A dedication ceremony at Miller Park Zoo was attended by officials from Bloomington, Normal and Urbana. Champaign and Charleston, home to Eastern Illinois University, completed the roster of municipalities recognizing July 17 as Kristian KP Philpotts Day.
Rice established a scholarship in Philpotts’ name, earmarked for aspiring veterinarians attending Illinois State University’s Department of Agriculture. Rosaline Flater and Lola Mancera received the scholarship in its inaugural year.
In 2023, a civil court ruled in favor of Philpotts’ family, awarding them more than $44 million following a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Williams, his mother, Tia Williams, and Lyft.
Lyft's involvement was resolved prior to the ruling.
The two other teenagers who were with Williams when Philpotts was shot and who attempted to discard the murder weapon took plea deals. They received probation in exchange for their testimony.
