Man sentenced to life for fatal shooting in drug dispute
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A 49-year-old Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to life in federal prison for killing a man during a robbery involving drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Matthew Barrett Robbins was sentenced Friday in the May 2014 death James Booher at a house near Ely. Prosecutors said Robbins was a methamphetamine user who became unhappy with the quality of the drugs he was getting from Booher. He and another man and woman lured Booher to a farm outside Ely and robbed him. Prosecutors said during the robbery, Robbins’ weapon discharged, killing Booher. Robbins then burned the body and threw the ashes in the Cedar River.