Lionel McCoy sentenced to 50 years to life for East Palo Alto murder

An East Palo Alto man received a 50-years-to-life sentence on Monday for fatally shooting another man during an argument nearly three years ago, San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Al Serrato said.

Lionel Jericho McCoy was convicted of first-degree murder and associated charges in December for shooting Christopher Puckett, 31, on June 10, 2016. Two men had approached Puckett in the 2400 block of Illinois Street near Bay Road in East Palo Alto, one of whom was McCoy. Puckett and McCoy argued, engaged in a physical altercation and fell to the ground. McCoy then got up, pulled out a handgun and fired multiple times, killing Puckett, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

After a 26-day trial and four days of deliberation, on Dec. 13 a jury convicted McCoy, a “three striker,” of one count of first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm with an enhancement. On Jan. 10, the court upheld his prior convictions, 15 prior felony-strike convictions, one prior prison term and a probation-ineligibility allegation, which was considered at Monday’s sentencing. He faced more than 100 years to life in prison.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum sentenced McCoy to 25 years to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction, plus 25 years to life for the use of a firearm in the killing. The court imposed a two-year sentence for the count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one additional year for committing a violent felony under the “three strikes” law and two years for committing a felony while out on bail, which will run concurrent to his 50-years-to-life sentence. He must also pay $7,274.70 restitution to the California Victim Compensation Board. He is not eligible for probation.