Corey Thompson Jr. “had a smile that would light up the darkest room” and dreams of attending college to pursue an engineering degree, but all that was shattered in the early morning hours of March 20, 2021, a few weeks before his 18th birthday.
Thompson was spending the night at the home of “close friend” James Sotelo, a troubled high school dropout who inexplicably opened fire on Thompson as he was trying to go to bed around 3 a.m. Sotelo fatally shot Thompson 11 times in the back of his head and neck. Stray bullets from the 9 mm semi-automatic handgun pierced the bedroom wall and hit Sotelo’s brother in the face as he was sleeping in the next room.
On July 20, the culprit was sentenced to 40 years in prison by Judge Josh Hill in Harris County, Texas, with eligibility for parole after 20 years — when Sotelo is 41. Justice came too slowly, however, for Thompson’s loved ones, and many are outraged that Sotelo was repeatedly let out on bond by Judge Hill despite the many warning signs that he could harm again.
“There was absolutely no reason for this cold-blooded murder, so we know this man is a danger to the community,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg stated in a recent press release. “In fact, after he was freed on bond for murder, he continued his criminal ways and was rearrested for carrying a gun.”
On the day of Thompson’s murder three years ago, Sotelo was already out on bond for a previous assault. After allegedly admitting to a deputy at the scene that he killed his friend, he was quickly arrested and faced additional murder charges if his brother didn’t survive. Despite all this, seven days later, he was allowed to post yet another bond, which was initially set at $150,000 but lowered to $100,000. He walked out of jail the next day.
Once his brother came off life support and it was clear he would survive, Sotelo was charged with aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury. Surprisingly, he was again granted a bond, this time for $50,000.
At this point, Thompson’s aunt, Rose Smith, was so fed up that she started a Change.org petition to “revoke Sotelo’s bond and keep him in jail!” It garnered nearly 6,000 signatures.
“My nephew does not have a voice because he was horrifically taken from us by James Sotelo, who only spent six days in jail,” wrote another aunt, Marcia Roberts, on the petition.
“My brother deserves justice and my mom deserves peace. We’ve been restless since the loss of my brother. We need James’ bond revoked before he attacks more people,” wrote his sister Torrie Wright at the time. She wasn’t too far off in her prediction.
Sotelo picked up a gun charge in November 2022 for unlawful carrying of a weapon in nearby Montgomery County. Even though he was out on bond for murder, he was allowed to post a $10,000 bond and walk free yet again, according to court records. The district attorney’s office stepped in and filed to revoke the bond in the murder case, but they were unsuccessful. Sotelo was put on 24/7 house arrest instead.
“That is what is bothering us the most,” April Wright, Thompson’s mother, told Fox26 at the time. “This kid has a blatant disrespect for the law for the court he’s going through, and he’s still allowed to go home and be with his family. My son is never allowed to come home, and this kid is still out in the community.”
More than two years after the murder, Sotelo was put on trial in November 2023 and found guilty by a jury within four hours. But perhaps not surprisingly, Sotelo opted to have a judge determine his punishment – the same judge who lowered his bond amount twice. Though the D.A.’s office sought a sentence of 50 years behind bars, Sotelo received 40 years for murder and two years for deadly conduct with his brother, and those sentences will be served concurrently, with eligibility for parole halfway through his time.
“According to the defendant, he wasn’t intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs, which makes deliberately pulling the trigger 13 times that much worse,” Assistant District Attorney Kyle Tucker said in the release, adding “he did not have any remorse for the victim and there weren’t any mitigating factors.”
Thompson’s sister, Torrie Wright, told Fox26 she was “shaking with anger” every day of the trial, where Sotelo unsuccessfully tried to convince the jury Thompson attacked him in his sleep.
“He’s never going to take accountability for what he did. He never cared, and he’s never going to care. He just cares for himself,” said Torrie, who is still grieving the young man who is remembered as a “great student,” an athlete, and someone who “only wanted people to enjoy the beauty of life with him.”
“It’s better than nothing,” said Thompson’s mother. “For us, a life sentence would have been better, because that’s what we’ve been sentenced to. We have a life sentence without my son.”
