The suspect charged in the murder of a former Sioux City man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole in a separate case for the murder of an Iowa City cab driver.
42-year-old Curtis Cortez Jones was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in November for the 2017 death of Ricky Lillie.
Jones maintained his innocence in a statement read to the sentencing judge.
Lillie’s mother said in a victim statement that she wishes Iowa had the death penalty.
Jones will next stand trial Friday for the fatal shooting of Iowa City bail bondsman Jonathan Wieseler, who was from Sioux City.
That trial was moved to the Polk County Courthouse because of pre-trial publicity.
