A New Berlin man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the 2023 murder of a Texas man whose body was found shot in his car near a subdivision in rural Grafton.Miguel Aponte received his sentence Monday afternoon at the Ozau kee County Courthouse. He was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime in the killing of Laeng Sanavongsay. The sentence includes the possibility of extended supervision after 40 years. Aponte also received a one-year sentence for bail jumping, to be served consecutively."A brutal, brutal case," Ozaukee County District Attorney Benjamin Lindsay said. "This was an execution at almost point-blank range."A deputy discovered the victim, Sanavongsay, dead from a gunshot wound to the head in a vehicle on CTH C south of Tallgrass Drive in March of 2023. According to a criminal complaint, there was tape around his mouth and blood coming from his head. An autopsy revealed he died from a gunshot wound, but also had several broken ribs and ligature marks on both of his wrists.Watch: Man gets life in prison for 2023 Grafton murder, case still open New Berlin man gets life in prisonProsecutors used cell phone records and DNA evidence to link Aponte to the crime several months later. While investigators say they ultimately do not know if Aponte was the one who pulled the trigger, they say he was involved in the 'brutal' killing that was linked to a "criminal enterprise.""There was a moment in your interrogation when one of the detectives told you that, when a murder happens in Ozaukee County, its a big deal. It is a big deal." Judge Steven Cain told Aponte during the hearing. "Minor involvement. Major involvement. No one knows because you didn't have the courage to step up."Laeng's sister Ket Herea told the court in a victim impact statement she was thankful for the work of prosecutors but that many questions about exactly what happened to her brother remain."Our brother was a kind and caring man, and he cared deeply for his family. His life mattered," Herea said.Aponte was remorseful when he addressed the court, saying he felt bad for the victim's family. He mentioned that he would appeal the case."This is not who I am," Aponte said.Prosecutors say Aponte did not act alone. However, no one else has been arrested for the crime, and the case remains open.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less