Man Who Murdered Philanthropist Jacqueline Avant Sentenced to 190 Years in Prison

Jacqueline Avant’s killer will be going to prison for several lifetimes with absolutely no chance of parole.

via People:

Aariel Maynor, 30, murdered the philanthropist and wife of music executive and film producer Clarence Avant, 91, while robbing her Beverly Hills home on Dec. 1. Jacqueline was 81.

He also tried to kill her security guard. That same evening, he broke into another Hollywood Hills home and accidentally shot himself.

Maynor was sentenced to 190 years to life in prison Tuesday.

“Today marks the end of a tragic case that rocked our community. Because of a completely senseless act, Los Angeles lost Jacqueline Avant, a community leader and philanthropist. Her murder sent shockwaves through our community, prompting fear, concern and a tremendous sense of loss,” Gascón said in the release. “Given the sentence today, Mr. Maynor will be ineligible for early parole, and will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Added Gascón: “This sentence and conclusion of this case also prevents a painful and lengthy process of trial for the Avant family, a process that can be traumatizing. There was never any doubt that we were going to pursue this case rigorously, this case shocks us all. Our office has, and will continue to, seek to hold accountable those who cause grievous harm in our communities.”

Maynor pleaded guilty to “one count each of first-degree murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon” and “two counts of first-degree residential burglary with person present,” and confessed to using an assault long barrel pistol, the release said.

Per the Los Angeles Times, Maynor was out of prison on parole when he killed Jacqueline. He was also caught on tape bragging and giggling about the murder during a phone call while in jail.

Jacqueline’s daughter Nicole Avant, 54, opened up about the gem her late mother was, telling PEOPLE in February, “A lot of grit and gratitude and grace — those are the adjectives for Jacquie.”

Nicole added of the former model who was born in Queens, New York: “The things that you’ve been reading, I’m sure a lot of it’s about her elegance and her grace and her [art] collections and things like that.”

“But I think what people are now really understanding is what a natural philanthropist she was,” Nicole continued. “She was a philanthropist before it became popular to become a philanthropist and say you were one.”

“Whether it was donating books, or bicycles, or bringing speakers, or whatever it was, my mom was always reaching out to help other people,” Nicole said. “And she gave me that gift.”

Something else that Jacqueline bestowed on her two children (including son Alexander, 50) was pride in their Black heritage.

“By the time I was 6 years old, she gave me a superpower and that was knowing the stock that I came from,” Nicole recalled. “My superpower was, no matter what was coming against me or what people might think about Black Americans, I already knew the stories of [late Congresswoman] Shirley Chisholm, or Ida B. Wells, or Lorraine Hansberry, or Booker T. Washington, Thurgood Marshall.”

Nicole said “it wasn’t just about civil rights for my mom,” who told her “every day [that] there are great doctors and educators and artists… [Black people] in every arena of life, who are accomplished and who didn’t quit.”

She remembered hearing her mom say, “All these people, they had such courageous heart that they didn’t give up, because they didn’t give up on you…”

RIP Jacqueline.