GREENWOOD — A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in the shooting death of an off-duty firefighter in Mississippi.
The Greenwood Commonwealth reports Eddie Lee Brown Jr. pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder in the April 2016 killing of Tyree Jernigan.
The 23-year-old Jernigan was an Army veteran. He was married and had two daughters.
Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore says Brown “kept changing his stories.” Six witnesses identified Brown as the shooter.
Second-degree murder carries 20 to 40 years in prison. Fire Chief Marcus Banks says he thinks Brown’s 25-year sentence is too short.
Brown was also sentenced to 10 years for possession of a firearm by a felon because of a 1994 Michigan conviction. Both sentences in Mississippi will run at the same time.
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 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.