A Cross Lanes man was sentenced Monday to spend 20 years in prison, after admitting to shooting a man to death that he found hiding in his ex-fiancee's closet.
Dustin Wayne Bodkins, 30, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder. He shot Timothy Morris, 26, of St. Albans, to death in July 2014.
Bodkins had been charged with first-degree murder, which carries a possible life sentence. Bodkins instead agreed to admit to the lesser charge if a judge would hand down a 20-year prison sentence, his attorney, John Carr said.
Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King approved the binding deal and sentenced Bodkins after he pleaded guilty Monday afternoon.
Bodkins had recently split from his fiancee, Lindsy Winans, and came to visit her to get acid reflux medication, according to police and prosecutors.
When Winans went inside to get the medication, Bodkins followed her and began opening doors and looking through closets, police previously said.
Morris was hiding in a closet and the two men got into a fight.
A pistol was introduced into the situation, Kanawha Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller told the judge, and Morris was shot multiple times.
Miller told the judge that Morris' parents were OK with the deal offered to Bodkins, according to Carr. However, when Mary Morris addressed King, she initially said she wanted Bodkins to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing her son.
Miller took the mother out of the courtroom to make sure she understood the plea agreement would require Bodkins to spend only 20 years in jail.
Bodkins did not address the court before the sentencing.
Carr told the judge that the events, which took place on July 2, 2014, were, "obviously a tremendous tragedy and have impacted many, many people's lives."
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