Man gets 18 years to life in homicide case

The victim was shot and his house set afire.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Ferndale Avenue man has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison on charges related to the Aug. 9, 2005, slaying of a Trussit Avenue man.
Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the sentence Tuesday on Frederick Rice, 28, in the death of James Rowles, 66. Rice pleaded guilty Feb. 13 to murder and aggravated burglary with gun specifications.
The prosecution reduced the charge from aggravated murder to murder and dropped an aggravated-arson charge. The judge followed the joint sentencing recommendation of Robert Andrews, assistant county prosecutor, and Rice's lawyer, Douglas Taylor.
Rowles had been shot in the head when firefighters found him in his house, which investigators said had been intentionally set ablaze. Police said the motive was robbery.
What's in plea deal
In the plea agreement, Rice agreed to testify against two men alleged to be his accomplices, Jimmy Davenport, 27, of Kensington Avenue, who the prosecution says was the shooter, and James Huff, 21, of Trussit Avenue. After the shooting, police said all three used bleach to wipe fingerprints from inside the house, with Davenport and Rice later returning to set fire to the house.
Davenport will have a mental competency hearing at 1:30 p.m. March 6 before Judge Sweeney, and Huff awaits trial. Davenport and Huff are charged with aggravated murder and aggravated burglary, with firearm specifications on each charge, and aggravated arson.
Taylor told the judge Rice didn't have a gun, didn't participate in the slaying and cooperated with police. "Unfortunately, he got caught up in something way over his head," Taylor said of Rice.
Rice said he was glad police caught him because he "couldn't go on with having it on my conscience."