Two sentenced in murder case

Published 12:08 am Saturday, February 2, 2013

NATCHEZ — The two men who were with James C. Luster when he murdered Carlos “Mo” Wright in March 2012 were sentenced Thursday on charges lesser than they were originally facing.

Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders sentenced Gerald K. Davis, 19, 11 Fifth St., to the maximum of 20 years in state prison for manslaughter.

Davis testified during Luster’s trial Tuesday to shooting Wright twice in the buttocks after Luster shot him 10 times. Davis said he feared Luster would kill him if he did not shoot Wright.

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Luster, 21, 551 W. Stiers Lane, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for gunning down Wright outside of Wright’s Scotts Lane residence on March 6, 2012. Luster maintained his innocence prior to being sentenced.

Sanders also sentenced Davis to the maximum of 25 years for a burglary of an inhabited dwelling charge Thursday unrelated to the murder.

The two sentences are to run consecutively.

Sanders sentenced Frederick Hunt Jr., 19, 381 Morgantown Road, to the maximum of five years in state prison for accessory after the fact.

Hunt testified during Luster’s trial that he saw Luster shoot Wright, but Hunt said he did not himself directly participate in the killing. Hunt also said during his testimony that he was testifying against Luster in an attempt to receive a lesser charge.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said Friday that the state accepted Hunt’s plea for a lesser charge in part because he testified against Luster.

“It was also in part because, according to the evidence, (accessory after the fact) was all we were going to be able to prove,” Harper said.

Thursday’s sentencings concluded the case.

“We’re glad it came to a successful conclusion, and we’re obviously satisfied with the guilty verdict,” Harper said.