A South Side man who was just 17 when he fatally shot a stranger following a brief shoulder bump outside an Avalon Park gas station in 2021 has been sentenced to 65 years in prison, bringing an end to nearly four years of litigation, a jury conviction, and post-trial motions.
Jaebrel Miles, now 21, was already facing a juvenile felony gun case at the time he killed 26-year-old Jeffrey King on the late morning of May 28, 2021, prosecutors said. Miles and a friend had walked to a gas station in the 8300 block of South Stony Island Avenue around 11:30 a.m. to buy snacks.
As the pair walked back toward a nearby house where they had been hanging out, King bumped into Miles’ friend on the sidewalk. Prosecutors said the men exchanged brief words but separated, with King entering the gas station.
Miles returned to the house but later went back to the gas station with another friend. Surveillance footage showed the pair confronting King inside. Miles then pulled a gun and fired over his friend’s shoulder. The friend ducked, drew his own firearm, and also opened fire.
King was struck multiple times and died at the scene.
Police arrested Miles later that day while he was riding in a Lyft. Officers reported finding a loaded handgun with a defaced serial number under the seat in front of him, as well as baggies containing heroin, crack cocaine, and ecstasy in his bag.
Miles was found guilty in April 2024 of four counts of murder. After extensive post-trial filings, Judge Angela Munari-Petrone formally imposed the 65-year sentence, which Miles must serve in its entirety. With credit for time already served, he is projected to be released on July 3, 2086.
Miles’ legal problems do not end with the murder case. Court records show he faces 12 additional felony cases, all filed since he has been in custody—most involving allegations of aggravated battery against Cook County Sheriff’s Office employees. Any of those cases could add more years to his sentence.