Man sentenced to life in prison in 2014 killing of Iraqi artist

Jeffrey Michael Caylor has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 50 years and 8 months, in connection with gunning down Iraqi artist Hassan Alawsi in the parking lot of a Home Depot store on Florin Road in March 2014.

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that Caylor was sentenced by Judge Michael Kenny.

A jury convicted Caylor of first-degree murder in December. He was also convicted of attempted murder, assault with a firearm causing great bodily injury, robbery, burglary, vehicle theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Kari Ann Hamilton, Caylor’s girlfriend and onetime business partner, also was convicted in Sacramento Superior Court of accessory to the murder, attempted murder, robbery, burglary while armed with a firearm, and vehicle theft. Her sentencing has been continued to March 24.

Alawsi, 46, studied art at the University of Baghdad, then fled the country with his family in 2001. They resettled in Sacramento in 2007.

On the evening of March 16, 2014, Alawsi went with his sister to Home Depot for paint supplies.

They headed out to the parking lot at 7:40 p.m. At trial, jurors watched security camera footage showing Caylor’s borrowed Buick sedan slowly cruising the lot before pulling up beside Alawsi, and shots being fired.

Authorities said Caylor didn’t know Alawsi but had told relatives of his dislike of people of Middle Eastern descent. Alawsi’s sister was wearing a hijab, a head covering worn by many Muslim women.

Caylor and Hamilton were arrested in Butte County a day after the killing. They were driving a stolen car shortly after Alawsi was killed.

Caylor was a onetime gang member whose criminal history includes attempted murder, attempted aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of firearms, according to court records in Kansas and Idaho. He served nearly 10 years behind bars. At his parole hearing, he said he’d made more than $80,000 per week dealing drugs.

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 8:07 AM with the headline "Man sentenced to life in prison in 2014 killing of Iraqi artist."