MILWAUKEE — Less than 8 months after her daughter was killed, a Milwaukee mom showed the man responsible grace on his day of sentencing.
"I can't be mad," Patricia McGee said. "I wish you well. God bless you."
In a week, McGee will mark her first Thanksgiving without her youngest daughter, Tesa Steele. Steele was killed in a crash near 88th and Capitol earlier this year when an unlicensed driver hit her in a crosswalk on March 30.
"I'm going to miss every holiday for the rest of our lives," McGee said. "She won't be able to come back but he's able to go back to his life and move on after he gets done."
That man, Latrell Katherine, will spend the next 9 months in the Milwaukee House of Corrections.
Katherine pleaded guilty to one felony count of "knowingly operating while suspended - cause death" and was sentenced to 270 days in the House of Corrections, with 7 days credit for a time already served.
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"I would have liked to see him get life because he took her life," McGee said after sentencing. "It didn't go like that so I have to go with what the judge says. I don't like their justice."
According to a criminal complaint, Katherine was driving east down W. Capitol Dr. when the SUV in front of him made a sudden lane change and he hit Steele. In court, Assistant District Attorney Grant Huebner acknowledged Katherine's actual driving was not improper.
"It doesn't matter that he was driving, quite frankly, appropriately and not speeding and didn't have alcohol in his system," Huebner said. "Because all of those would be other crimes that he would be sentenced for and much more egregiously. What does matter is appropriately sentencing this defendant for what he did."
Huebner pointed out that Katherine had been pulled over four times from October of 2020 to March of 2022 for license violations.
Each time, he continued to drive.
He told police on the night of the crash, he was working for a third party food delivery service. The grandparents of his child allowed him to drive their vehicle, which was insured. Despite not having a license, Katherine says the app he used to deliver food asked if he was using a bicycle or a vehicle and he would select bicycle, despite knowing he was using a vehicle.
Since the deadly crash in March, Katherine has legally acquired a license.
"We ran him again, and he has a valid driver's license," Huebner said. "That is good but also, I think, points to the fact that he could have done this earlier. The defendant has taken the appropriate steps and has done the appropriate actions there."
Katherine's attorney, Annette Rauch noted the streetlights at the intersection were not working that night and that Steele was wearing all black which made it difficult to see her.
Judge Jean Kies, in her sentencing, acknowledged the issues seen statewide with reckless driving. While she pointed out Katherine's actual driving was not reckless in nature, she wanted the public to hear her loud and clear with the time she handed down.
"In order to send a message to the community that these types of incidents are preventable, but also to send a message to you sir," Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jean Kies said. The life of Tesa Steele was valued by the people who love her. You have to be careful on the road and then you must absolutely have a driver's license and insurance when you're driving your car."
In addition to the 9 months in the HOC, Katherine will face a heavier penalty if he makes any mistakes going forward. Judge Kies stayed his sentence of 6 years in prison, with 3 years in and 3 years extended supervision. Additionally, Katherine will have Huber Release privileges for work, treatment, child care and any other release deemed appropriate. He will also have his newly acquired driver's license revoked for six months.
Katherine will be back in court in January for a restitution hearing.
As TMJ4 News previously reported, since 2019, there have been at least 35 other drivers involved in crashes where someone died, and their driver’s license was suspended, according to data from Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
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