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Sentencing For Man Convicted Of Killing Detroit Police Sgt. Kenneth Steil

DETROIT (WWJ) - A moving victim impact statement of forgiveness from the wife of a murdered Detroit police officer.

JoAnn Steil spoke of the heroic actions of her husband, Sergeant Kenneth Steil, and somberly talked of the difficulty of a life moving forward since his murder.

Marquise Cromer
Marquise Cromer in court during his sentencing. (WWJ/Jon Hewett)

Surrounded by no less than 10 officers during the sentencing -- 22-year-old Marquise Cromer of Detroit was sentenced Thursday to 38-75 years in prison. Cromer pleaded no contest to being guilty but mentally ill.

"My husband was murdered in cold blood - shot in the chest - stopping a man who had terrorized the city of Detroit with senseless violence ... words can not explain the pain you have caused me and my family. I am hurt, sad, angry and broken. There are days when I don't even know how I will get out of bed," said Steil.

Citing her religious faith she said, "I forgive you Marquise, because God forgives you."

Police say Steil, on Sept. 12, was chasing Cromer — a suspected carjacker — on foot outside a gas station on the city's east side when Cromer fired at Steil with a sawed off shotgun. A short time before -- Cromer shot his 62-year-old father in a separate incident -- his father survived.

Following the shooting, Police Chief James Craig said Steil was expected to be okay. The recovering sergeant was talking about returning to the force when he died suddenly from complications, reportedly a blood clot, shortly before he was supposed to be released from the hospital.

The 46-year-old, Steil, was the first police officer to die in the line of duty in Detroit since Craig took over in 2013.

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