Teen takes plea deal in 2013 murder in Columbia park
Joshua Murray, 19, appeared in court Monday and pleaded guilty to felony assault and second-degree burglary. He was originally accused of armed criminal action and first-degree murder in the death of another Columbia teen, Treveon Marshall, last summer.
The state recommends 10 years for the assault charge and seven years for the burglary, which can be served at the same time.
Boone County assistant prosecutor, Tracy Gonzalez, told ABC 17 News she is opposed to probation.
Murray’s murder charges were negotiated because of his continued cooperation during the trial of Nicholas Thomas, the other suspect arrested for the killing.
A jury found Thomas guilty of shooting Marshall in McKee Street Park back in June. For more details on the case, click here.
Thomas was sentenced to life in prison on first-degree murder with no chance of parole, along with 20 years in prison for armed criminal action. The sentences will run together. Marshall’s family and friends told ABC 17 News they think Thomas deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.
“Tre’veon didn’t deserve it but he [Thomas] shot him so he deserves to sit in prison,” Marshall’s friend, Deshayda Bradford, said.
Gonzalez said she hopes the sentence will bring peace to Marshall’s mother, Swanetta.
“There is no jury verdict or sentence given that will ever bring her son back,” Gonzalez said.
She told ABC 17 News she’s also hoping the sentence will help curb crime in Columbia by sending a message.
“We would hope that the message would go out, put your guns down, stop the shootings, that there can be consequences and should be consequences when people engage in that type of activity,” Gonzalez explained.
But Marshall’s cousin Porcha Marshall doesn’t think it will.
“People take pride in shooting and getting street cred so I don’t think this will do anything honestly,” she said.
Now that the trial is over and Thomas is sentenced, the family is focused solely on remembering Tre.
“He’s so goofy. He was always bullying everybody because he was bigger than everybody,” Bradford remembered.
“I just miss everything about Tre’veon,” Marshall said.
Gonzalez told ABC 17 News Marshall’s mother was in support of Murray’s plea deal.
