A Cook County judge sentenced a man with a felony record dating back decades to 20 years in prison for murdering a grocery store clerk during a heist last year. Jimmy Smith, 47, pled guilty to murder before Judge Ursula Walowski, who imposed the sentence, which must be served in its entirety.
Prosecutors said Smith went to the Half Moon grocery store at 360 East 79th Street shortly before closing time on January 9, 2024. They said he accosted clerk Shadi Almomani about 30 minutes later, about 10:15 p.m., when Almomani entered his car behind the store.
According to authorities, a witness heard someone demand Almomani’s wallet, which was followed by a popping sound. According to prosecutors, video footage shows Smith shooting Almomani in the head as he attempted to grab his hand.
Smith gave money to others on the scene before fleeing, but no one else has been charged.
Almomani, 43, relocated to the United States from Jordan just months before his death. Friends told officials that he had worked as a police officer there.
Smith’s criminal record in Cook County spans dozens of cases dating back to 1995. According to court documents, he was sentenced to prison for auto theft in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2013, and 2021. He was convicted twice for evading electronic monitoring and received a three-year term in 2017 for attempting to disarm a peace officer.
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