One of four men charged for the murders of Mark Kelvin Adams and Carla LeAnn Smilie entered a guilty plea this week.
Adams and Smilie were found shot to death at Adams’ home in the Needmore community on April 5, 2011.
The four men arrested in connection to the crimes – John Contrel Foster, of Troy; Troy Kentrell McClaney, of Union Springs; Marquisse Rashad McClaney, of Troy; and Brandon Jamal Ryles of Brundidge faced two charges of capital murder.
Foster pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of felony murder in both cases and agreed to testify against the others.
“He pled Tuesday morning … and was sentenced to 53 years,” said Pike County District Attorney Tom Anderson. “The victims’ families concurred with that.”
Pike County Circuit Judge Shannon Clark heard pretrial motions in Ryles’ case earlier this month and tentatively scheduled the trial to begin in March.
None of the cases have gone to trial, but Anderson said he planned to try the cases back-to-back.
The dates of the trials have not been entered. “We hope to have all the matters resolved by the end of the year,” he said.