Fire and police responded around 9:28 p.m. on the report of a woman being shot inside an apartment. When they arrived, they found the woman, 25, dead inside. Officers also found King outside of the building, and he was taken into custody.
According to Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi, King has a history of violent crimes as well as illegal possession and use of firearms and drugs.
“Mr. King is a violent career criminal who unnecessarily took the life of an innocent young woman,” Talebi said in the release. “Today, justice was served and Mr. King will now be incarcerated for 18 years to life for his heinous conduct.”
According to court records, King accompanied Harkins to a gun store and knew she bought a handgun to protect herself in a building “with registered sex offenders and working at a homeless shelter.” King used this gun to shoot her.
Harkins was shot in the head, heart and lungs, according to court records. King called 911 following the shooting but initially denied involvement.
King was released from prison in 2021 in Kentucky on 2020 convictions of wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, assault and intimidating a participant in a legal process, involving a firearm, according to the release. He was placed on shock probation, a process in which a judge re-sentences a convicted felon to serve the rest of their prison sentence as probation, for five years.
King traveled to Ohio to pursue a relationship with Harkins, according to the release. He was in Ohio without the knowledge or permission of his parole officer in Kentucky when he murdered Harkins, according to the release.
The 30-year-old is required to register in the violent offender registry for 10 years, and he faces charges in Kentucky for violating the terms of his parole.
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