Man gets 124 years in killing
2014 fatal shooting was over payment for a prostitute
REDWOOD CITY — A Hayward man was sentenced Wednesday to 124 years in state prison for shooting a man to death during an argument over payment for a prostitute, as well as opening fire on the home of the victim’s parents, according to prosecutors.
A jury last month convicted Demond Anthony Spikes, 36, of first-degree murder and shooting into an inhabited dwelling. He also was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The argumentover payment for a prostitute took place just before 6 a.m. on April 13, 2014, in the backyard of a home in the 500 block of Skyline Drive in Daly City, where the victim, 34-year-old Marcus Brackenridge, was living with his parents. Brackenridge was naked at the time, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Spikes shot Brackenridge in the stomach and head, according to prosecutors. He then fired rounds through a glass sliding door when the victim’s mother called out, hitting her at least twice. Spikes was acquitted of attempted murder in connection with that shooting.
Spikes and the prostitute fled before police arrived, but he was arrested later that year in Sacramento. As for the prostitute, prosecutors had hoped to put her on the stand, but she was murdered in Oakland before the start of the trial, according to Wagstaffe.
Atthe sentencing hearing Wednesday, Spikes told Brackenridge’s family he was sorry for their loss, but he insisted he was not the one who pulled the trigger, Wagstaffe said.
Wagstaffe said the stiff sentence handed down by Judge Mark Forcum was largely due to the fact that Spikes used a firearm and because he already had a strike on his record.
“Mr. Spikes is a dangerous sociopath who has no remorse or regret for the taking of this life and what he did to the victim’s family,” Wagstaffe said. “We are now guaranteed by this sentence that he will never breathe free air again ... and that’s justice.”
James Thompson, Spikes’ court-appointed attorney, could not be immediately reached for comment.
In addition to a lengthy prison sentence, Spikes could be ordered to pay $380,000 in restitution to Brackenridge’s mother. A hearing has been set for Oct. 12, Wagstaffe said.