DALLAS (AP) - A Dallas family took a step toward justice Tuesday after decades of not knowing who was responsible for a single bullet that killed a relative and left another paralyzed.

The Dallas Morning News reports that 44-year-old Joseph Buckaloo was sentenced to 30 years in prison after confessing to the May 1992 shooting of Juan Lopez and his nephew, Jose Villegas. Buckaloo pleaded guilty to murder for Lopez's death, but won't face charges for shooting Villegas because the crime's statute of limitations had expired.

Lopez's mother and Villegas' sisters confronted Buckaloo in court on Tuesday about how his crime ruined their lives and put Villegas in a vegetative state.

The family says they pressed to re-open the case after 26 years because it's something they'll never forget.

Buckaloo was already serving three concurrent 99-year sentences for assault charges.

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

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