16 November 2018 :

Lameco Dechawn Turner, sentenced to death for a 2004 murder, will now serve a 99-year sentence following a new trial. Turner was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death on Feb. 23, 2010 (see). The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on December 14, 2012 unanimously reversed Turner's capital murder conviction and death sentence because the Houston County District Attorney used illegal hearsay evidence to convict him. The case came back on appeal and a new trial was held in August. Tuesday, Turner was given a 99-year prison sentence. Dothan police investigators charged Turner with capital murder in the April 20, 2004, death of Prakash Shah, who died after being shot during a robbery of a Mini Mart. During Turner's previous trial, former Dothan Police Officer Frank Meredith stated Turner admitted he pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting, and that there was no evidence to show it was an accident. On appeal, however, Turner argued that his case suffered irreparable damage when confessions of his non-testifying accomplices' were admitted into evidence through the testimony of the lead investigator. Turner argued he shot Shah by accident. The lead investigator testified that witness accounts indicated that Turner shot Shah after Shah grabbed a nearby phone to call police. Turner argued on appeal that introduction of the confessions violated Turner's constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him. The conviction was reversed and remanded back to court for a new trial. In August 2018 a Houston County jury found him guilty of felony murder, after wich Judge Michael Conaway imposed a 110-year prison sentence, which, according to lead counsel Aimee Smith, was out of the jurisdiction of the courts. "We filed a brief imposing a sentence of 20 years in prison up to 99 years in prison, and we are thankful the court corrected the sentencing," Smith said. Turner would be eligible for parole soon because of credit he will receive for the 14 years he’s been behind bars.