FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – A 24-year-old Fond du Lac man was sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity of parole for his involvement in a robbery and homicide.

On Wednesday, Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney announced that Julius Freeman Jr. was sentenced by Judge Anthony Nehls to a life sentence with the possibility of release to extended supervision after 35 years.

While the state recommended Freeman be sentenced to life in prison without the opportunity of parole, Judge Nehls opted for a more lenient option.

A jury previously convicted Freeman on July 26, 2023, of first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime and armed robbery as party to a crime, stemming from the October 17, 2021, death of a man on 8th Street in Fond du Lac.

The victim was found with a single gunshot wound to the head with his firearm and a large amount of cash stolen. The testimony revealed that Eric Perry and Julius Freeman committed an armed robbery at the man’s residence, and it’s alleged that Perry was the one who pulled the trigger.

“This case sends an unmistakable message that if you aid another in the commission of an armed robbery that results in the murder of another, you will be held accountable,” said Toney. “Gun violence will never be accepted as a new normal in our community, and we will work with law enforcement to aggressively hold violent criminals accountable. I am grateful for the prosecution and law enforcement team that helped take this dangerous criminal off the streets.”

While Freeman’s fate has been decided, Perry’s jury trial is set to commence on March 25, 2024.