Man gets lesser sentence for murder conviction in ex's shooting death

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — An Apple Valley man was sentenced to a decade in prison Monday for his role in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, court records show.

Willie Selmon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June. His 120-month term is well below the sentencing guidelines for the charges.

A plea agreement filed in June said the state would seek a sentence of 261 months (almost 22 years), which is on the low end of the guidelines. The defense argued for a downward departure and was granted it because the crime was "less onerous than usual" and Selmon is "particularly amenable to probation," according to the departure report.

A criminal complaint states Selmon went to his ex-girlfriend's home on July 10, 2022, to get some things. When he arrived, his ex-girlfriend — Michelle McGill — and her son, Billy Pryor Jr., were sitting in separate vehicles in the driveway.

According to the complaint, Pryor told Selmon he had a gun and started shooting, hitting Selmon in the face twice. Selmon ran to McGill's vehicle, thinking Pryor would stop shooting if his mother was between, the complaint states. Both men continued shooting, though, and McGill was hit 10 times, according to an autopsy report. She died at the scene.

Pryor also faces charges in his mother's death, including second-degree murder.