A Peoria man convicted of shooting his girlfriend and leaving her in a roadside ditch near Brimfield in 2021 has been sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison.
Joshua McGee, 39, was found guilty in June of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in connection with the death of Ashley Tankersley.
On Thursday, Peoria County Chief Judge Katherine Gorman sentenced McGee to 55 years on the murder charge and 10 years on the possession count, according to a media release from the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office. He must serve 100% of the murder sentence.
Tankersley, 37, was found in a ditch near Jubilee College State Park in August 2021. She had multiple gunshot wounds and later was pronounced dead at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
McGee was arrested the same day at an Interstate 55 rest stop near Springfield, following a lengthy standoff with law enforcement after sheriff’s deputies tracked the location of his cell phone.
A search of McGee’s vehicle found a handgun, shell casings, and items that belonged to Tankersley, said police. Cell phone location data placed McGee at the scene of the murder, and Tankersley’s blood was found on his shoes.
