Family members of man murdered at Dallas Costco address woman involved in his killing
DALLAS - Family members of a man killed in a Dallas Costco parking lot got a chance to speak directly to a woman who was part of the group that killed him.
Ali Elbanna was fatally shot during an attempted armed robbery outside the Northeast Dallas store in November 2021.
Family members said the 60-year-old was at the Costco Business Center Warehouse off Park Lane to pick up supplies for his store in Arlington. As he was loading the groceries into his SUV, a group of suspects in a stolen truck tried to rob him.
Janiya Miller, who was driving the car that carried the men who killed Elbanna, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
"I want to make it very clear to you that you are responsible for my father's death. You may not have pulled the trigger, but you played an active role in killing him," said Iman Elabanna, the victim's daughter, during victim impact statements on Tuesday. "You took him from this world."
Camron Range, the shooter, was 16 when he killed Elbanna. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder, 30 years for another aggravated robbery. Both sentences will run at the same time.
James Levels, who listened to the family's pain in victim impact statements last month, was sentenced for 25 years for an unrelated robbery and 40 years for Elbanna's murder.
"Here in this country, after 60, we start calling it the golden age. You took away from him his golden years," said Hossein Elbanna, the victim's brother.
Elbanna had five children and a wife of more than three decades.
His daughter, Iman, read a statement from their mother.
"There will never be a brighter light in this world. The darkness that remains is evidence that he is not with us any longer and for everyday that we are plunged into that darkness know that it was your choices that brought us here. You have broken our hearts and shattered our lights forever," she read.
There was a fourth man in the trio, Jacoby Tatum, who was not indicted on the capital murder charge. He will face trial in September in three aggravated robbery cases.
Janiya Miller appeared to look and listen as Elbanna's family spoke through their anger and pain.
"Shame on you for destroying a family. Shame on you for killing the innocent. Shame on you until the day you die for making the evil person you are come out on a man who you have nothing to do with. You are a disgrace for your family, and I am disgusted for your manners," said Khalid Elbanna, the nephew of the victim.