A plea deal was accepted Wednesday morning in Christian Circuit Court by one of three suspects charged in connection with the December, 2020 disappearance of Justin Tyler Sawyer in Oak Grove.
Thirty-seven-year-old Gene Douglas Henry of Oak Grove entered a guilty plea to tampering with evidence in a deal that comes with a recommended four-year sentence and he must testify at the trial of his co-defendants, 21-year-old Dawuan Davis of Clarksville and 23-year old Marquell Sims of Oak Grove, if necessary.
Judge John Atkins told Henry that stipulation makes it especially important for him to stay in touch with the Department of Probation and Parole until his final sentencing date of November 17.
The alleged shooter in the case is Davis and he and Sims are charged with first-degree assault, kidnapping and first-degree robbery.
An attorney for Davis submitted a motion to reduce bond, but Judge John Atkins denied the motion, agreeing with Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling that Davis is a flight risk and danger to the community.
Kentucky State Police say Sims was in the car with Davis and Sawyer on December 17 during a drug deal gone bad that led to Davis allegedly shooting Sawyer five times.
Sims reportedly got out of the car after the first two shots were fired and walked across KY 115 from the Shell Station to the Pilot gas station. Police say Davis later in the night used the help of Henry to move Sawyer’s body from the back seat to the trunk of his stolen car.
Henry had originally been charged with abuse of a corpse, in addition to tampering with evidence.
Trial for Davis and Sims is scheduled for February 21.
Davis