Life in prison for teen convicted of murder
Published 6:00 pm Thursday, June 21, 2018
An 18-year-old convicted of first-degree murder last year in the 2016 shooting of an elderly man was sentenced Wednesday in state district court to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
Stacy Tyrone Johnson Jr. was found guilty on Sept. 27 in the death of Robert Colston Sr., 79.
Prosecutors said Johnson, in what they called a “crime of opportunity,” was planning to rob Colston on June 5, 2016, when he rode his bicycle up to the man’s truck and shot him. The victim crashed into a tree and later died in a local hospital.
Colston, who oversaw multiple rental properties, sometimes carried large sums of cash and prosecutors said at trial that robbery was the motive in the crime.
Judge Guy Bradberry, in sentencing Johnson, said laws passed by the Legislature as well as pending laws pertaining to crimes committed by those who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes, have to be taken into consideration at sentencing.
A hearing was held earlier in the week to discuss those issues as well as the only two scenarios that could legally occur at sentencing: life in prison without the benefit of parole or life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Because of Johnson’s age and the complexity of the issues, his sentencing was scheduled and postponed three times.
Prosecutor Jacob Johnson said the state wanted Johnson to be sentenced to life without parole. Johnson said the crime was an especially heinous murder of an elderly man who he said was just going about his business when he was killed.
Defense attorney King Alexander, in arguing for the possibility of parole for the defendant, said nobody knows what Johnson may be able to accomplish during 25 years behind bars and could possibly prove himself redeemable and worthy of life outside prison.
Philip Colston, son of the victim, read a statement to the court, which said, in part: “That day (of the murder) will haunt me and my family for the rest of our lives. Your actions have a lasting impact to all who knew or were impacted by my father. You committed a horrible crime and now you have to pay the price for your actions.”
Gloria Colston, daughter of the victim, spoke directly to the defendant and said, “I say to you that from this day forward you will seek the Lord. You should spend your life in prison. Your choice is now our choice. We live the rest of our lives without our mentor, hero, and motivator. We feel that justice was served in this case and our prayers were answered.”
Alexander said he advised his client not to comment at sentencing but said “that is not to be taken as a lack of empathy on his part.”
Bradberry, before sentencing Johnson, said, “Here’s where we find ourselves today. Is Stacy Johnson permanently incorrigible and irretrievably depraved as defined by the Legislature? The Legislature has put the court in a position where we almost need a crystal ball to look into the future.”
Johnson will be parole-eligible after 25 years and will also receive credit for time served. He has been in the Calcasieu Correctional Center since his arrest shortly after the murder.
