Will Porter Jr. decided not to go to trial, and it may have saved his life.
Facing a possible death sentence if convicted of killing his ex-wife, Mary Michelle Porter, with a shotgun on Aug. 19, 2007, Porter pled guilty to the crime Friday in Lowndes County Circuit Court and was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His trial had been scheduled for today.
Porter had been in custody since the day of the shooting after turning himself in to authorities.
Columbus Police Department officers attempted to apprehend Porter at his home hours prior to the shooting, having obtained a warrant for his arrest on charges of aiming a loaded gun at Mary Michelle Porter days earlier. However, because they did not physically see him, they were forbidden from entering his home.
Porter had also been arrested on a domestic violence charge against his wife in 2006.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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