A Chenango County judge sentenced Jeremy Coates to life in prison for the 2016 robbery turned murder of David Green. 

Coates' ex-girlfriend, Melissa Crispell, was sentenced to 15 years. Crispell was originally charged with murder but would later plead guilty to first-degree robbery in exchange for her testimony.

During the trial, Chenango County District Attorney Joe McBride painted a gruesome picture of the night Green was killed. So graphic, the judge restricted what jurors could see. Coates and Crispell planned to rob Green the night of September 23, 2016. Friends of the air force veteran, the couple visited him at his home on Charles Kelley Road.That's when Coates started beating him with several objects including a metal ashtray, a hammer, and a decorative battleaxe. The fatal blow was struck with a 75-pound stone tabletop.

With his first conviction at age 17, Coates has an extensive criminal history spanning three decades. One of those cases, Judge Frank Revoir says he remembers well, serving as the court attorney at the time. Revoir detailed how Coates robbed a convenience store and beat an employee nearly to death. 

"You have the lifelong propensity to assault and harm people. You should never be let out in any community under any circumstances," said Revoir, "You are a threat to everyone sitting in this courtroom."

Coates maintains his innocence. In a statement to the court, he told the judge, "I did not get a fair trial. The jury's integrity was... I don't know the word for it." At this point, Coates turned to his lawyer, who whispered to him, and then finished: "The jury's integrity was compromised."

This was not the last time Coates spoke during the sentencing. In fact, he interrupted the judge twice while Revoir was handing down his sentence. The second time saying, "No, I didn't kill nobody."


Green's family was in the courtroom on Friday, and his niece read a statement about her uncle, who would have been turning 60 next week. "My uncle was a simple man. He led a simple life. This crime was so senseless. He would have given them anything they wanted." 

Outside on the courthouse steps, McBride told the media that Coates should have been taken off the streets years ago, and that the life sentence ensures the safety of others he might otherwise have harmed.