Second murder suspect pleads guilty
Published 11:00 pm Thursday, February 27, 2014
The district attorney’s office has reached a plea agreement with a second man charged in the murders of Mark Kelvin Adams and Carla LeAnn Smilie.
Troy Kentrell McClaney, 24, of Union Springs, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony murder this week in exchange for a 20-year sentence.
“He serves five years, day for day, and he serves the balance of 20 years on probation,” said District Attorney Tom Anderson. “Those 20 years will hang over his head for a long time.”
Anderson said the victims’ families approved the plea agreement.
Adams and Smilie were found shot to death in Adams’ Needmore home April 5, 2011. McClaney, John Contrel Foster, of Troy; Marquisse Rashad McClaney, of Troy; and Brandon Jamal Ryles of Brundidge were charged with capital murder for the crime.
The district attorney’s office reached a plea agreement with Foster last week. Foster pleaded guilty to felony murder in both cases and agreed to truthfully testify against the others. He was sentenced to 53 years.
Based on the evidence, Anderson said Troy McClaney was the least culpable in the crime.
“From any angle and by all accounts, we don’t believe he ever entered the residence,” Anderson said. “This individual, we don’t believe ever had a weapon, ever utilized a weapon.”
Before being sentenced, Troy McClaney provided a statement that matched the evidence collected and Anderson said would be beneficial when prosecuting Marquisse McClaney and Ryles of capital murder.
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. Anderson said last week he hoped the matters would be resolved by the end of the year.