Court official recommends denial of juvenile killer's appeal

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A Delaware court commissioner is recommending that a judge deny an appeal from a man convicted of murder for a killing committed when he was 17.

Joshua Gonzalez was sentenced to more than 55 years in prison for the March 2016 shooting of 22-year-old Christian Serrano in Wilmington. The state Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction of his codefendant, Jose Moreta, who's serving life in prison.

In a Facebook post two days after the shooting, Gonzalez bragged about it and warned that anyone messing "wit tha gang" would "end up in a box."

Gonzalez argued in his appeal that his defense attorney was ineffective.

In a report issued Thursday, the commissioner recommended that a judge deny Gonzalez's motion for postconviction relief, noting that his defense attorney refuted Gonzalez's claims.