In the winter of 2016, the life of a young Flint teenager was tragically cut short. Sixteen-year-old Shaun William LaBelle was fatally shot in the back outside of his home on Sunday, December 11, 2016. He was pronounced dead at Hurley Medical Center. The incident left his family devastated, with his mother later recounting that her 11-year-old daughter witnessed the horrific event.
The investigation into Shaun's death led to the arrest of Emilio Cortes-Lloyd.
In the fall of 2019, a Genesee County jury convicted the then 24-year-old Cortes-Lloyd of second-degree murder in connection with the killing. During the sentencing hearing, Shaun's mother addressed Cortes-Lloyd directly, stating that he had shot her son in 'cold blood.'
Despite the conviction, Emilio Cortes-Lloyd maintained his innocence, offering apologies to the LaBelle family while simultaneously denying his guilt. The judge sentenced him to a lengthy prison term of 31 to 62 years for his role in the death of Shaun William LaBelle.
