US court throws out life sentence for teen who shot Australian baseballer Chris Lane

A US appeals court has thrown out the life sentence given to a teenager who was convicted of fatally shooting Melbourne baseball player Chris Lane.

Australian baseball player Chris Lane was visiting his girlfriend’s family near Oklahoma when he was killed. Picture: AP Photo/Essendon Baseball Club

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A US appeals court has thrown out the life sentence given to a teenager who was convicted of fatally shooting Australian baseball player Chris Lane three years ago.

The court in Oklahoma ordered a new sentencing for Chancey Luna, who has been serving a life in prison without parole term.

Luna was tried as an adult in the 2013 death of Christopher Lane, 22, who was shot while jogging along a road in southwestern Oklahoma.

Lane, who was from Melbourne, was about to start his senior year at East Central University in Ada when he was gunned down.

Luna, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Australian baseballer Chris Lane was the victim of a random drive-by shooting. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

In a court filing, Luna’s lawyer argued that his sentence was unconstitutional because the crime occurred when he was a juvenile, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down such mandatory sentences.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals agreed. It upheld Luna’s conviction on Friday and ordered a resentencing.

“A finding that Luna’s sentencing jury considered his youth with its attendant characteristics and his chances for rehabilitation in deciding punishment is simply not supported by the record,” the court’s opinion said.

“There was no evidence of important youth-related considerations, such as the juvenile’s chronological age and its hallmark features — among them immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.”

Chancey Luna had been serving a sentence of life in prison without parole. Picture: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File

Stephens County District Attorney Jason Hicks didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Friday, and his office said he had not yet read the court’s ruling.

Lane was a native of Melbourne and was about to start his senior year at East Central University in Ada.

He was visiting his girlfriend’s family in Duncan, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, when he was killed.

Investigators have said Lane was randomly targeted by bored teenagers, and three others have been convicted in the case.