A Tarrant County jury has sentenced Broderick Patterson to life in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Eric Forrester.
After the sentence was read, Patterson shouted expletives at the jury to the shock of those in the courtroom. The reaction startled many since Patterson plead guilty to the 2010 crime and said he'd let the jury decide his punishment.
Patterson's family was also very upset after the sentence was read and an aunt blamed the Texas juvenile justice system for not reaching the troubled teen before the robbery and murder took place.
Due to his age at the time of the murder, Patterson was not eligible for the death penalty.
Patterson's defense team emphasized that he could be rehabilitated, that he was immature and just 16-years-old at the time and that for six months his decision-making spiraled out of control.
An attorney with the Tarrant County District Attorney's office painted a different picture, saying Patterson was evil, needed to be punished and that the public needed to be protected from him.
On Tuesday, jurors heard the 911 call placed by the victim, who then put the phone in his pocket. In the recording, police hear one man yelling at Forrester to get a bag, presumably to carry the items being taken. A short time later, the men can be heard yelling at Forrester before a gunshot is heard followed by an exclamation of shock by one of the two people.
Police identified Clifton Elliott as Patterson's accomplice. He is awaiting trial.
NBC 5's Chris Van Horne and Kendra Lyn contributed to this report.
