A teenager accused of killing his father in 2013 will spend 12 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for manslaughter.
Devonte Kelly, 18, of West Point, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Clay County Circuit Court Wednesday. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with eight years suspended.
Kelly was arrested on Halloween 2013 after his father, Randy Kelly, was found dead in his bed with a single gunshot wound to the head. West Point police initially arrested Devonte Kelly for murder, but Assistant District Attorney Marc Amos said the charge was reduced to manslaughter at the request of multiple members of the victim’s family.
“Everybody I talked to in the family wanted Devonte to not be punished under the murder statute,” Amos said. “… But the judge decided the sentence. It was not a plea bargain agreement.”
Also factoring into the lesser charge were unproven allegations of abuse in the home, including by the victim, Amos said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.