Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer murder: Man convicted of killing CPD commander gets life sentence
Bauer shot, killed outside Thompson Center in 2018
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The man convicted of killing Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole Wednesday.
Shomari Legghette shot Bauer several times after a confrontation in a stairwell at the Thompson Center in 2018.
Watch: Shomari Legghette is sentenced to life in prison
Defense attorneys pushed for a new trial, but the motion was denied and the court went straight into sentencing.
RELATED: CPD Cmdr. Paul Bauer memorialized 2 years after fatal shooting near Thompson Center
Showing incredible strength, the late commander's widow Erin and his daughter Grace read powerful victim impact statements to the court. Erin chose to speak about how her husband lived, rather than how he died.
"He was very intellectual and well read. He was always reading a book, sometimes two. He carried his library card in his wallet He wanted to work in a bookstore when he retired," she said, holding back tears.
Erin said her husband was analytical, a perfectionist, a skilled photographer, a true gentleman and, most importantly, a doting father to their only child Grace.
"He would drive me to school every day, even when I was running late," Grace told the court. "He truly cared about me and everyone else in his life, and he always wanted to help."
Grace Bauer, who wasn't even in high school when her father was murdered, shared a personal story about a photo seen around the country after her dad's murder.
"Another picture that I see everyday is the picture that was most circulated in the news, the headshot of him in uniform," Grace Bauer said. "I remember the day that picture was taken. He came home with copies of the picture and he was very proud that he didn't blink. Because everyone that knew my Dad knew that he blinked in every photo ever."
Grace said she keeps imagining a world where her father stayed home on that day. Erin said the pain is still raw.
"There are no words to describe the pain and grief," she said. "To lose someone so violently, as another layer of pain, is indescribable."
Legghette also addressed the court. Many hoped, or even expected, that he would offer an apology but he did not.
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