Man sentenced for car sale after murder

FAYETTEVILLE — A Fayetteville man pleaded guilty Friday to charges accusing him of helping to dispose of a murder victim’s car and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Devontae Devon Herred, 28, pleaded guilty to theft by receiving, tampering with physical evidence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and second-degree forgery. He also had his probation revoked for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

The theft and tampering charges were related to getting rid of the car.

Mario Lamont Miller, 47, of Fayetteville was shot and killed by Steven Maurice Rice on Aug. 11, 2020. Police and prosecutors say Rice later passed the car to Herred, who sold it to get rid of evidence from the murder. The car was later recovered in Dallas.

Rice, 24, was found guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday by a Washington County Circuit Court jury. Rice was sentenced to 30 years in prison on the murder charge and six years for tampering with physical evidence. The terms will run consecutively.

Rice had previously admitted to police he was the trigger man. Miller was shot in the back of the head from just inches away. His body was dumped in a secluded area.

Keishayla Hill, 24, of Stuttgart testified against Rice at his trial. Hill pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in a deal with prosecutors in exchange for her testimony.

Hill was then sentenced to 40 years in prison on the murder charge and six years on the tampering charge, with the terms to run concurrently.

In Herred’s case, he was sentenced to 15 years on theft by receiving and 12 years on the tampering charge. Those charges are related to the Miller case.

In unrelated cases, Herred was sentenced to six years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, six years on the revocation and two years for forgery.

All the sentences will run concurrently.

Herred held a Bible during his sentencing before Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay. He asked the judge if he could join the Marines to avoid the prison sentence. Lindsay responded that courts no longer do that.