Man sentenced to life without parole for murdering Pittsburgh U-Haul employee

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A man found guilty of killing a Pittsburgh U-Haul employee, stealing a truck and leading police on a chase in 2021 was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday.

Braijon Burton was found guilty in February of second-degree murder and several other charges in the death of 21-year-old Jacob Jaillet.

Police said Burton shot Jaillet at the U-Haul store on Washington Boulevard in July 2021. He then allegedly stole a truck and led police on a chase that ended with a crash on Route 28. Police said Burton fired a shot at another vehicle on Route 28, but the driver wasn't injured. 

Jaillet died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital a few days later. 

"He's an amazing, amazing man," Jacob's father Jeff Jaillet said after the guilty verdict. "At only 21 years old, he's the greatest man I'll ever know."

During the trial, a doctor from UPMC testified about Jaillet's injuries, calling them "life-ending." He said Jaillet had injuries to his upper spinal cord that left no connection between his brain and his body. Jaillet and his family chose to remove his breathing tube and give him medicine so he could die peacefully. 

Second-degree murder carries a sentence of life without parole. On top of that, Burton was sentenced to six-and-a-half to 13 years for other charges, including robbery of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault of an officer and firearms violations.