FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) – An 18-year-old Fort Smith man convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of his next door neighbor has been ordered to serve up to 12 years in state prison.
A Sebastian County jury on Wednesday convicted Dionte Parks of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping in the January 2016 shooting death of University of Arkansas at Fort Smith student Kaleb Watson.
On Thursday, Parks was sentenced to 10 years for the murder and kidnapping convictions and 12 years for aggravated robbery, with the sentences to be served at the same time.
Parks was 15 at the time of Watson’s death but was tried and convicted as an adult. One co-defendant has pleaded guilty to murder in the case while a second is seeking to have charges moved to juvenile court.
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