43
Man gets 15 years to life for murder
YOUNGSTOWN
A Mount Vernon Avenue man pleaded guilty to murder and has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in a July 25, 2013, slaying on Loveland Road.
Michael Brown, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday as his trial was to have begun for the shooting death of Daniel Watkins, 19, of Boardman.
Judge Shirley J. Christian of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the sentence.
Brown initially had been charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery with firearm specifications.
In the nonappealable plea deal adopted by the judge, the aggravated-murder charge was reduced to murder, and the aggravated-robbery charge and gun specifications were dropped.
“He’s a savage animal. He deserves to be in prison for the rest of his worthless life,” the victim’s father, John Watkins, told the judge.
“This thug robbed Daniel of everything he had, and when he didn’t have enough money to satisfy this thug, he pulled out a gun and executed him,” the victim’s father added.
Watkins was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car with several gunshot wounds to his chest and died en route to the hospital.
Police said a dispute over trading cough syrup and cash for heroin led to the murder, to which Brown confessed.
Brown apologized to the Watkins family.
“My charges do not classify who I am. ... I will make a change for the better and come home a better person,” Brown told Judge Christian.
“You have the opportunity that Mr. Watkins was deprived of, to, No. 1, have a life, and No. 2, to attempt to turn that life around,” Judge Christian told Brown.
“I have adopted the joint recommendation of the parties because I believe that it is the only way to bring closure to this case,” the judge said of her acceptance of the plea deal and the sentence.
Brown will get credit for 583 days served. He’ll be on five years of parole if he leaves prison.