One of the men charged in connection with the 2020 disappearance of Justin Tyler Sawyer in Oak Grove was formally sentenced in Christian Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Marquel Sims recently entered a guilty plea to the charges of facilitation to robbery, facilitation to kidnapping and facilitation to first-degree assault, which came with a recommended sentence of five years in total. Defense attorney Michael Thompson represents Sims and requested that he receive probation, saying Sims has been employed during his time out of custody.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling was opposed to probation, saying it would undermine the serious nature of the charges.
Judge John Atkins ultimately denied probation and sentenced Sims to five years in prison. Sims must also testify, either by appearance or recorded statement, at the trial of co-defendant, 21-year-old Dawuan Davis. The other co-defendant in the case, Gene Douglas Henry of Oak Grove, recently entered a guilty plea to tampering with physical evidence.
Davis is the alleged shooter in the case and he’s charged with first-degree assault, kidnapping and first-degree robbery. 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 car at 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.