20 Famous People Who Were Sentenced to LIFE in Prison

20 Famous People Who Were Sentenced to LIFE in Prison

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at 20 well-known notorious figures who were given life behind bars or are likely to die in prison due to their age and length of their sentence.

Isaiah Stokes

Security footage and a GPS tracker told the whole story on this one. In January 2021, Isaiah Stokes, a part-time actor known for guest roles on “Law & Order: SVU” and “Boardwalk Empire,” did the unthinkable. He planted a tracking device beneath the car of Tyrone Jones, a man who had thrown him out of a birthday party weeks earlier. On February 7, he followed Jones, approached his parked Jeep, and shot him 11 times. Queens DA Melinda Katz called it a calculated murder. In March 2025, a jury convicted Stokes of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon after deliberating for under two hours. He was sentenced to 25 years to life, roughly the mandatory minimum for a premeditated killing in New York State.

Aaron Hernandez

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez had just signed a new contract extension when he faced arrest on murder charges. Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée, was found shot dead near the player’s home in June 2013. The trial exposed a pattern of violent associations that had shadowed his rise from Florida’s Gator program to one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive players. In April 2015, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. A 2017 acquittal in a separate double-homicide case came five days before he took his own life in his prison cell. A head trauma discovered after his death was likely a contributing factor.

Big Lurch

On April 10, 2002, a friend of Tynisha Ysais arrived at her Los Angeles apartment to find the 21-year-old dead in the most horrible way possible. Antron “Big Lurch” Singleton, the victim’s roommate, was located naked on a nearby street, covered in blood, staring into the sky. A medical examination discovered human flesh in his stomach. His defense team argued a PCP-induced psychotic break, while he claimed he thought he was killing the devil before the world ended. The jury rejected his insanity plea. In November 2003, Singleton was convicted of murder and aggravated mayhem and sentenced to life without parole. Behind bars for over two decades now, this sentence has completely buried any remnants of his early genuine West Coast hip-hop credentials.

Anthony Wayne Smith

Drafted 11th overall by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1990, Anthony Wayne Smith spent seven seasons as a defensive end in the NFL. After retiring in 1997, what came next was methodical and brutal. In November 1999, he posed as a police officer to kidnap brothers Ricky and Kevin Nettles. Their bodies were found the next day, shot, duct-taped, and showing evidence of torture. In June 2001, he kidnapped and stabbed Dennis Henderson to death. Prosecutors never offered a motive for any of the three killings. In November 2015, after days of jury deliberation, Smith was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture and kidnapping. He was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole in January 2016.

Cash Out

Born John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, Cash Out broke into mainstream rap in 2012 when “Cashin’ Out” peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum. Behind the public persona, federal and state investigators were building a seven-year RICO case. A Fulton County jury convicted the rapper of racketeering, assault, sex trafficking, and related charges after a seven-week trial in July 2025. Prosecutors described what they called a house of horrors. They detailed a coordinated network, run with his mother and cousin, that forced women into sex work through fear and coercion. On July 28, 2025, Cash Out was sentenced to life without parole plus 70 years. His mother and cousin also received sentences for their involvement.

Corey 'C-Murder' Miller

On January 12, 2002, Steve Thomas was shot and killed at the Platinum Club in Harvey, Louisiana. Witnesses identified Master P’s younger brother, Corey Miller, aka ‘C-Murder’, as the shooter. A first conviction in 2003 was thrown out after prosecutors withheld witness background information. A retrial in 2009 produced a second guilty verdict, and Miller was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to mandatory life without parole. He has maintained his innocence throughout, and two key witnesses later recanted their testimonies, claiming police coercion. State courts have called the claims unreliable. Kim Kardashian even publicly campaigned for his release in 2020. The Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously denied his most recent appeal in February 2026. Miller remains incarcerated at Angola, his once-thriving career long silenced.

Danny Masterson

After playing Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show” across all eight seasons, Danny Masterson became one of the most recognizable faces in American sitcoms. Then, everything imploded when three women who had met him through the Church of Scientology accused him of drugging and assaulting them between 2001 and 2003. A first trial ended in a mistrial, then a retrial in May 2023 returned guilty verdicts on two counts of forcible sexual assault. In September 2023, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Masterson to the maximum 30 years to life. His accusers testified that the Church had discouraged them from contacting law enforcement, a claim Scientology denied. Under California’s sentencing structure, Masterson will not be eligible for parole consideration for more than 25 years.

Joe Son

UFC’s Joe Son was notorious for his repeated groin strikes in UFC 4. He also played Random Task, the shoe-hurling assassin in “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” In 2008, a vandalism arrest required him to submit a DNA sample. That sample linked him to a 1990 Christmas Eve gang assault and torture of a teenager in Orange County. In August 2011, he was convicted of felony torture and sentenced to life in prison. Less than a month into his sentence at Wasco State Prison, Son was accused of beating his cellmate to death. In 2017, a jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter and added a maximum 27-year term. Any realistic path to release ended with that second verdict.

Mel Hall

Outfielder Mel Hall played 13 seasons for various Major League Baseball teams, including the Yankees, before he retired in 1996. After retiring, he reinvented himself as a youth basketball and softball coach in the Fort Worth area. In 2007, police investigating sexual abuse allegations arrested him. His accuser, who was a minor at the time of the reported abuse, testified about years of predatory grooming. Two additional women testified to similar experiences. In June 2009, a Tarrant County jury convicted Hall on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and two counts of indecency. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison with parole eligibility no earlier than November 2031. This verdict assures he’d remain incarcerated well into old age, possibly death.

Ian Watkins

As frontman of Lostprophets, Ian Watkins led a band that released chart-topping albums between 2000 and 2012. He was arrested in September 2012 after a drug warrant search of his home uncovered phones and storage devices loaded with evidence of sexual abuse of minors. A former girlfriend had reported him to police as early as 2008, and investigators later found his capture could have come nearly four years sooner. In December 2013, he pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including the attempted assault of a minor, getting sentenced to 29 years and 10 months, plus six years on extended licence. On October 11, 2025, Watkins was stabbed in the neck by a fellow inmate at HMP Wakefield and pronounced dead at the scene.

Ryan Grantham

“Riverdale” and “Supernatural” actor Ryan Grantham was seemingly on the rise with a promising career until its sudden end. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his own mother, and he was sentenced to life in prison. In Canada, this particular charge allows for the possibility of parole after a set period of time, which in this case is 14 years. Even though he’ll be eligible for parole, it’s still a life sentence, and the severity of his crimes makes it unlikely that he’ll get out.

Will Hayden

The reality television actor Will Hayden, mostly known as the star of the show “Sons of Guns,” was a former Marine and a respected gun store owner. Yet, his public image overshadowed some absolutely heinous crimes. During his trial, it came to light that he had a long history of abusing youths. Hayden was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, and a third life sentence was added later, along with another 40 years on top. In Louisiana, his crimes carry no possibility of parole, ensuring he’ll remain in jail for the rest of his days.

Ali Abulaban

Behind the comedy skits and impressions that garnered Ali Abulaban millions of followers and views on TikTok was a horrifying secret. In 2021, he murdered his estranged wife and her friend. After being convicted of first-degree murder, Abulaban was given two consecutive life sentences, plus another 50 years to life for gun enhancements. The judge described the crimes as “cold-blooded” and noted a lack of remorse, which is why he was made ineligible for parole. It’s safe to say Abulaban will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

Kaalan Rashad Walker

You may know him as Juju in “Superfly,” but in real life, Kaalan Rashad Walker waved his freedom goodbye when he was convicted of several counts of sexual assault and violence. Authorities found that Kaalan had used his public persona on social media to lure aspiring models with false promises of career opportunities, only to assault them. A judge sentenced him to 50 years to life in a California state prison. Although his lawyer has appealed the decision, Walker’s sentence ensures that he’s likely to spend most of his remaining years behind bars.

Taymor ‘Tay-K’ McIntyre

Taymor “Tay-K” McIntyre had a brief run of fame in 2017 while he was a fugitive from the law. His song “The Race” was all about that escape, and he released it while the whole thing was happening. While his song charted on the Billboard Hot 100, his freedom was short-lived, and he ended up convicted on two separate murder charges. He was originally sentenced in 2019 to 55 years in prison for a home invasion that ended up in a murder. In 2025, he was sentenced to an additional 80 years in prison for another murder. By the time he’s eligible for parole after 30 years, he’ll have spent most of his life incarcerated.

Michael Jace

Former “The Shield” actor Michael Jace fatally shot his wife April in their home, for which he received a 40-year-to-life prison sentence. During the trial, his young son testified that he heard his father say, “If you like running, run to heaven,” right before he fired the final shot, which ended up contributing to his sentence. If he ever gets granted parole after serving the 40-year minimum, Jace will be in his early 90s. So his chances of ever being free again are pretty low, to say the least.

Jon ‘War Machine’ Koppenhaver

Once a professional mixed martial artist, Jonathan Koppenhaver, who legally changed his name to War Machine, is now known for a brutal assault on his ex-girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack, and her boyfriend. The jury found him guilty on 29 felony counts, including kidnapping and sexual assault. Koppenhaver was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 36 years. At the time of his sentencing, he was 35, meaning he won’t be eligible for release until he’s 71 years old. By that point, it’s a distinct possibility that he’ll pass away in prison.

Suge Knight

Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight Jr., a prominent figure in hip-hop, co-founded ‘Death Row Records’ and played a key role in the careers of artists like Tupac and Snoop Dogg. He was facing life in prison after a fatal 2015 hit-and-run, which triggered the “three strikes” law as his third strike. To avoid trial, Suge took a plea deal and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. While this avoided a life sentence, he was 53 at the time, and he won’t be eligible for parole until 2034, when he’s 69 years old.

Harvey Weinstein

The once near-invulnerable movie producer Harvey Weinstein’s life came to a permanent halt with his numerous sexual assault convictions. He was first convicted and sentenced in New York, 2020 to 23 years in prison, and two years later, sentenced to another 16 years in prison in Los Angeles. While his New York conviction was overturned, he remains in prison and is currently serving the 16-year sentence. Weinstein’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and he’s been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Because of these factors, Harvey will probably pass away in prison before he gets released.

R. Kelly

The long history of abuse and exploitation by R. Kelly finally caught up to him, and he was convicted in two separate federal trials. In New York, he was initially sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and sexual trafficking. In Chicago, he was sentenced to 20 years for producing illegal content. These sentences were to run concurrently, but an additional year was added, combining for a total of 31 years. Furthermore, he’s exhausted his appeals, meaning R. Kelly won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 80 years old.

Which of these famous people is the most awful? Let us know in the comments.