Man gets 5 years in beating death

JONESBORO — One of two men charged in the beating death of a Jonesboro man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Tyrone Lamont Hall, 24, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison followed by a three-year suspended imposition sentence in the October death of William Horton, 47, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alan Copelin said.

Under the sentence handed down by Judge Cindy Thyer in Craighead County Circuit Court, Hall must serve 100 percent of the five-year term because of his criminal record.

If Hall gets into trouble during the three years after he gets out of prison, a judge could revoke the suspension and sentence him to as much as 25 years in prison, a term Hall would have to serve in full, Copelin said.

Hall’s co-defendant, Doreus Lamar Mckinney, 23, is also charged with seconddegree murder.

Mckinney began the process of pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge during the hearing Monday, but “after he articulated what had happened for the court, his attorney decided he should not plead,” Copelin said.

Mckinney is scheduled to appear in court again March 23. A jury trial date is tentatively set for April 2.

Horton died Oct. 21, five days after he was found in front of Hall’s home. Police said about 10 witnesses saw Horton’s beating.