Man convicted of Jordan father’s murder wants sentence change


Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:06 PM MST


LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP)—A sentencing mistake is keeping one of the two men convicted of killing Michael Jordan’s father from seeking parole, an attorney said Monday.


Larry Martin Demery, 32, was sentenced to life in prison in the July 1993 shooting death of James Jordan, who was sleeping in his car beside a highway when he was killed in Robeson County. Demery also was sentenced to 40 years for a pair of robberies earlier in the month.

Attorney Hugh Rogers said the sentences were to be served concurrently, but the state Department of Correction has incorrectly recorded them as consecutive sentences.

If the sentences were served concurrently, Demery could seek parole after 20 years in prison, Rogers said. Demery was arrested in 1993 and pleaded guilty in 1995 to first-degree murder.

"Case law now says the remedy is to withdraw the guilty plea and renegotiate a new sentence or have a new trial," Rogers said Monday. "We’re not looking for trials, but hopefully we can set aside the convictions, enter a new plea and we’ll be looking at one life sentence."

Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt agreed with Rogers. Under the plea agreement, which included all of his convictions, Demery was to serve a life sentence, Britt said.

"He’s basically asking for the benefit of his bargain," said Britt, agreeing that the procedure involves Demery withdrawing his guilty pleas and asking for a new sentence.

A hearing is set for next week to address the matter, he said.

Also convicted in James Jordan’s murder was Daniel Andre Green, 33, who was sentenced to life behind bars for the death. Demery testified that Green pulled the trigger. Britt said the situation means Demery would serve more time than Green for the murder of James Jordan, whose body was dumped in a South Carolina swamp.

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    Ricardo Cooper wrote on Feb 28, 2008 11:43 AM:

    " If you are that cold to kill someone and then dump there body in the swamp, then what kind of justice system do we have to look at your case again? Life without parole is not enough... Im against the death penality, but in some cases it's called for, like this one...... "

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