Gunman gets life for slaying at motel
A year after fatally shooting a man during an attempted robbery at a South Side motel, Monteria L. Watkins became emotional Thursday as he apologized to the victim’s family in a Franklin County courtroom.
“Please understand, I did not have any purpose to harm anyone when I went there,” Watkins said, reading from a prepared statement. “At first, I tried to blame others. However, if I wouldn’t have had a gun and wouldn’t have been there, the people in the courtroom wouldn’t be going through this today.” He turned to the family of Mark E. Horne, with tears in his eyes, and said, “I just want to tell you all, I’m sorry.”
Watkins, 33, of Smith Road on the South Side, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years after pleading guilty to murder with a gun specification. The sentence, imposed by Common Pleas Judge David Young, was mandatory.
He shot Horne, 48, at about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2016, after forcing his way into Horne’s room at the Kozy Inn in the 3900 block of South High Street.
Assistant Prosecutor David Zeyen said Horne had arranged a date with a woman who got a ride to the motel from Watkins. She did not know Watkins, but a mutual acquaintance had asked Watkins to give her a lift for $10. When they arrived at the motel, Watkins argued with the woman because he wanted more money, Zeyen said.
Later, when the woman walked from the motel to a neighboring convenience store to use Horne’s debit card at an ATM, Watkins approached and argued with her again about money. That exchange was captured on the store’s surveillance video, Zeyen said.
Watkins then followed the woman to the motel room and pushed his way inside, knocking her to the floor. Horne tried to help her and got into a struggle with Watkins, who pulled a gun and shot Horne once in the abdomen, Zeyen said.
Horne’s parents, son and daughter attended the hearing. His father and daughter made tearful remarks to the judge about their loss. Tori Horne lamented the many events that her father has missed, including her graduation in May from Ohio State University, “all because of this man.”