Gary man gets 101-year sentence in murder of ex-girlfriend, Chicago Heights woman Jessica Flores

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- An over 100-year prison sentence was handed down Wednesday for an Indiana man convicted of killing a Chicago Heights woman in 2019.

Drew Carter III was convicted in June for the 2019 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Flores.

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Her body was found in a wooded area in Gary.

The 36-year-old was a mother of six.

Lake County, Indiana prosecutors confirm the judge handed down sentences Wednesday totaling 101 years behind bars.

Carter's conviction came after a judge granted a motion to dismiss the murder case against him in September 2019. He remained in custody on a separate firearms charge stemming from his arrest, and prosecutors refiled murder charges in October 2022.

But Carter was released on bond in 2023 because, under Indiana law, if a case isn't brought to trial within 180 days, the defendant has a right to be released while they wait.