JACKSON, Tenn. -- A man has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars for killing an Arkansas State football player in Tennessee nearly three years ago.
Derrick Wade, 25, pleaded guilty Monday to multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, according to The Jackson Sun. He will not have the possibility of parole.
Markel Owens and his stepfather Johnny Shivers were fatally shot in Jackson in January 2014 during a suspected drug-related robbery in which Shivers was the target. Owens' mother, Chermaine Owens, was also shot.
Markel Owens, 21, was a junior defensive lineman for Arkansas State at the time. He was less than a week from returning to ASU's campus in Jonesboro to prepare for the start of his final college semester.
Craig Taylor and Wade's cousin, Johnny Wade, are also charged in the case. Wade's trial is scheduled for January 2017, while Taylor is serving a life sentence for a separate killing.
State Desk on 12/09/2016