A federal judge sentenced Jamalo "Jay" Bruner Jr. to 50 years in prison Monday, Nov. 9, for his role in a 2019 Tulsa home invasion that killed 22-year-old Benjamin Montgomery.

Montgomery was shot and killed Oct. 10, 2019, inside his apartment in the 10800 block of South Sheridan Road, according to the Tulsa World. He was hosting friends and celebrating a birthday when armed men burst through the door.

Bruner was 19 at the time of the shooting.

Investigators say Jerrell Jones planned a robbery targeting a drug dealer in the building, and Bruner and a third suspect, Devyn Smith, carried it out, News On 6 reported. The suspects forced the dealer upstairs at gunpoint but barged into the wrong apartment, where Montgomery lived.

Montgomery tackled one of the suspects to protect his friends and was shot and killed, according to News On 6.

The case went unsolved for six years before a Tulsa Police Department homicide detective broke it open. Police arrested Bruner, Smith and Jones.

Packed courtroom

The courtroom was packed with Montgomery's family and friends for the sentencing hearing. Nine people gave victim impact statements, calling Montgomery a hero, according to News On 6.

Montgomery was the son of Tom Montgomery, a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper. In a 2022 interview with News On 6, Tom Montgomery described his son's final moments: "Somebody came blasting into his front door and shot a pistol up into the ceiling, and he comes out of the back bedroom and takes the guy to the ground. He didn't think about it."

His family said Montgomery loved animals, was a wonderful cook and baker and stood up for underdogs.

Sentencing

Prosecutors asked for life in prison. Bruner's attorneys asked for 40 years. The judge sentenced him to 50.

Bruner spoke in court and said he wanted to take responsibility for his actions. He said sorry was not a big enough word for what he did, according to News On 6.

U.S. Attorney Christopher Nassar, the chief federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Oklahoma, said in a statement that Montgomery "died a hero while protecting his friends from a senseless armed robbery." Nassar thanked detectives from the Tulsa Police Department Homicide Unit and FBI agents for their work on the case.

Co-defendants

Smith and Jones are charged with murder in Tulsa County court. Their cases are ongoing.

Anyone with information about violent crimes in Tulsa can contact the Tulsa Police Department at 918-596-9222 or Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS (2677).