Man sentenced for murder of Detroit Capt. Steil said he was hearing voices

The man accused of shooting a Detroit Police sergeant, leading to his death, was sentenced Thursday after agreeing to a plea deal.

Cromer pleaded no contest last week for the murder of Capt. Kenneth Steil. His plea - guilty but mentally ill - to second degree murder came with a sentence agreement of 38 to 75 years. He pleaded the same for assault with intent to murder, which will be 5 to 10 years, carjacking, which will be 20 to 30 years, and three counts of felony firearm at 2 years each.

In court Thursday, Cromer appeared to smile and chuckle as victim impact statements were being read. 

"Mental illness. That is the new excuse to gunning down members of the law," one statement read. 

Cromer said he was hearing voices, and that he thought God was telling him "to do it." Cromer did not apologize in court Thursday, although Capt. Steil's widow said she forgives him. 

FOX 2's Erika Erickson will have more tonight on FOX 2 News beginning at 5 p.m. from inside the sentencing hearing. 

Cromer's charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm came from an incident on Sept. 11, 2016 at his father's house on Dickerson on Detroit's east side. Police say Cromer fired a sawed off shotgun, striking his father in the foot. 

Around 6:45 p.m. the same day, Cromer is accused of approaching a car at an auto wash on Conant and asking for a ride. When the person declined, Cromer opened the driver's side door and produced the shotgun, shooting the driver in the abdomen.

The following day around 10:46 p.m., officials say Cromer was hiding out on East 7 Mile and Hayes with a 20 gage shotgun when he shot Sgt. Steil in the shoulder.

Steil, a 20-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, was trying to arrest Cromer who police say was in the middle of a crime spree. He was expected to make a full recovery from the gunshot but died from complications a few days later.