The Chattanooga man convicted of killing trial witness Bianca Horton over a decade ago will serve a maximum of 122 years in prison, prosecutors said, after Grier’s second sentencing in Hamilton County Criminal Court on Monday.
Andre Grier, 39, was found guilty of Horton’s killing in October by an Anderson County jury of, among other charges, first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree felony murder. Those two charges merged into one conviction, which is an automatic life sentence, according to prosecutor Cameron Williams.
Grier’s other three convictions, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit especially aggravated kidnapping and especially aggravated kidnapping, were delayed and set for Judge Boyd Patterson’s courtroom on Monday, according to court records. There, Grier received 12 years for the kidnapping conspiracy offense and 25 years each for the other two convictions, according to court records.
Before the new sentencing, Grier might have received a parole date in his 90s, Williams said by phone. Now, considering that the especially aggravated kidnapping conviction will need to be served in its entirety, Williams said Grier will never get a parole date.