Connor Julian Pridgen is a Jacksonville, Florida man serving a life sentence for the February 2010 murder of his 17-year-old University Christian School classmate, Makia Coney. Pridgen was 16 when he and 17-year-old Charles Roy Southern shot Coney in the head in what prosecutors called a “thrill kill.” Both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to life without parole. After U.S. Supreme Court rulings limiting juvenile life sentences, Pridgen was resentenced in 2016 to life with a mandatory judicial review after 25 years.
The Killing of Makia Coney
On February 10, 2010, Pridgen and Southern lured Coney away from University Christian School in Jacksonville by telling her they were going to buy and smoke cigars after school. Southern pulled his pickup to the front of campus around 3:15 p.m., and Pridgen walked Coney out to the truck.1Jacksonville.com. Convicted Teens Killed Jacksonville Classmate for Thrill, Prosecutor Says They drove about three miles to a wooded area, where Southern shot Coney in the head, followed by Pridgen.2Campus Safety Magazine. 2 Students Confess to Killing Classmate The two used separate .44-caliber revolvers stolen from the home of another classmate’s father.3News4Jax. Teen Slaying Suspects Mentioned in Stolen Guns Report Fragments recovered from Coney’s wounds were later matched to a revolver found at Pridgen’s home.
Southern and Pridgen were back on the school campus by 4:15 p.m., roughly an hour before Coney was reported missing. A bicyclist found her body in a drainage ditch about two hours later.2Campus Safety Magazine. 2 Students Confess to Killing Classmate Both teens confessed. Police said there was no indication of sexual assault. Coney had been a close friend of Pridgen.
The Stated Motive
Prosecutors described the murder as a thrill kill. According to investigators, Southern told authorities the pair planned to become armed robbers and wanted to find out what it felt like to shoot a victim.1Jacksonville.com. Convicted Teens Killed Jacksonville Classmate for Thrill, Prosecutor Says Prosecutors later said the defendants “took turns shooting the girl in the head, saying they wanted to know what killing someone felt like.”4News4Jax. Jacksonville Thrill Kill Murderer Seeks New Sentencing Hearing
Guilty Plea and Original Life Sentence
State Attorney Angela Corey’s office charged both teens as adults. They were initially indicted on first-degree murder in March 2010, with prosecutors calling the killing “cold, calculated and premeditated.”5Jacksonville.com. Pair Convicted of Classmate’s Murder Forgo Chances for Lighter Sentences On July 29, 2010, Pridgen and Southern pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which carried a sentencing range of 40 years to life.6Action News Jax. Pair Reach Plea Deal in Makia Coney Murder Case That fall, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt sentenced both to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Why Pridgen Was Resentenced
Three U.S. Supreme Court decisions reopened Pridgen’s sentence. In Graham v. Florida (2010), the Court held that the Eighth Amendment bars life without parole for juveniles in nonhomicide cases.7Justia. Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48 In Miller v. Alabama (2012), the Court ruled that mandatory life without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide is unconstitutional and required sentencing courts to weigh the offender’s age, character, and circumstances. Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) made Miller retroactive, entitling people already serving those sentences to new hearings.8Equal Justice Initiative. Miller v. Alabama Under Florida’s response, a judge could impose anywhere from 40 years to life and had to consider factors such as the offender’s maturity and the nature of the crime.9Jacksonville.com. Teen Accused of Killing University Christian Classmate Gets New Sentencing
What Happened at Resentencing
Pridgen chose not to present any evidence at his resentencing hearing. His attorney, Teresa Sopp, explained the reasoning: “We wanted a longer track record on rehabilitation and mitigation.” On October 27, 2016, Judge Senterfitt, who had imposed the original sentence, resentenced Pridgen to life in prison.5Jacksonville.com. Pair Convicted of Classmate’s Murder Forgo Chances for Lighter Sentences Under Florida law, the new sentence carries a mandatory judicial review after 25 years of incarceration.10News4Jax. Man Who Shot Teen Classmate in Thrill Kill Re-Sentenced to Life With Review
Southern made the same choice. His attorney, Michael Bossen, told the court that “there really wasn’t anything to present that could sway the judge. It’s just too soon.” In a letter to the judge, Southern wrote that he wanted to resolve his case without a full hearing to spare both families from reliving the trauma and said he hoped to use his time to further his education.5Jacksonville.com. Pair Convicted of Classmate’s Murder Forgo Chances for Lighter Sentences Southern’s life sentence was upheld shortly after Pridgen’s, with a review set for the same 25-year mark.10News4Jax. Man Who Shot Teen Classmate in Thrill Kill Re-Sentenced to Life With Review
Where the Case Stands
Pridgen remains incarcerated. His mandatory judicial review is expected around 2035, roughly 25 years after his original 2010 sentencing. His attorneys have said they plan to argue for release at that review with a record of rehabilitation and maturity built over the intervening decades.5Jacksonville.com. Pair Convicted of Classmate’s Murder Forgo Chances for Lighter Sentences Southern is serving the same sentence under the same terms.