A Noxubee County man was sentenced to 72 years in prison on Friday for the robbery of an elderly Macon couple.
Nathaniel McKeithan, 28, received 26 years each for two counts of armed robbery and 20 years for one count of burglary of a dwelling, according to Mississippi 16th Circuit District Attorney Scott Colom. The sentences are set to run consecutively.
McKeithan will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence. Colom said McKeithan declined to take a 30-year plea for all charges before the trial.
Circuit Judge Lee Howard sentenced McKeithan in Noxubee County Circuit Court.
A Noxubee County jury convicted McKeithan last week for his role in a June 12, 2015, break-in at the home of Richard and Inez Barge. He broke into the home in the evening with one other suspect, who is still at large, while the Barges were at McDonald’s.
Once the Barges returned, the burglars threw an afghan over them, put an air rifle to Richard Barge’s head and demanded jewelry, a purse and a wallet. Richard was struck in the face multiple times during the incident, but still refused to give McKeithan the proper PIN for his debit card.
McKeithan was caught on ATM surveillance trying to use the debit card within five minutes of leaving the Barge residence.
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