Ferlandez Lamar Cook, 20, offered his plea to Talladega County Circuit Judge Julian King last week. Sentencing will probably be in about two months.
Cook was charged with the shooting death of Trevan Hale, 30, also of Sylacauga, in August 2009. The shooting took place on the 400 block of East Sixth Street in Sylacauga.
Hale was pronounced dead at the emergency room of Coosa Valley Medical Center after it was determined he was too badly wounded to be safely airlifted to Birmingham.
Cook was arrested at the hospital as well, after being treated and released for a superficial gunshot wound, according to police accounts at the time.
Murder involving the use of a firearm is a Class A felony in Alabama, punishable upon conviction by 20 to 99 years or life in prison.
Giddens said King also accepted a guilty plea last week from Justin Borden, 20, also of Sylacauga, to rape in the first degree and sodomy in the first degree. The victim was a woman in her 60s.
Giddens said the woman’s son and daughter-in-law were at a doctor’s appointment, and the victim was in the Sylacauga Walmart, just killing time. When she exited the store through the automotive department, Borden attacked her right there behind the store, Giddens said.
Rape in the first degree and sodomy in the first degree are also Class A felonies, punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison.
Across the hall, Circuit Judge Bo Hollingsworth accepted a plea of criminally negligent homicide from Janelle White, 54, of Talladega.
White was responsible for her 85-year-old bedridden mother. In February last year, the defendant apparently left her mother unattended for some time. When she was discovered by Talladega police and paramedics, she was dehydrated, malnourished and covered in bedsores. The smell was so bad some of the officers and paramedics began to get nauseous about 20 feet from the house.
White was arrested for and charged with felony abuse or neglect of an elderly person. Her mother died while she was in custody.
Elder abuse is a felony, but White pleaded down to the lesser included misdemeanor of criminally negligent homicide. At sentencing, she faces up to 12 months in the county jail.
Also in court this week:
• King accepted a guilty plea from James Amos, 23, to possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
• King accepted a guilty plea from Marquette Felder, 32, to violation of the community notification act for convicted sex offenders.
• King accepted a guilty plea from Joseph Mann, 28, to theft of property in the first degree.
• King accepted a guilty plea from Marlin Strong, 39, to fraudulent use of a credit or debit card.
• King accepted a guilty plea from Amy Gray, 36, to six counts of forgery in the second degree.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Pamela Lee, 48, to possession of a controlled substance, cocaine.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Courtney Stamps, 24, to theft of property in the first degree.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Robert Barber, 45, to possession of a controlled substance, cocaine.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Freddie Greer, 25, to assault in the second degree. Greer stabbed a fellow race fan at the Talladega Superspeedway, Giddens said.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Lamar Norwood, 20, to possession of marijuana in the first degree.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Justin Summerlin, 24, to possession of a controlled substance.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from William Searcy, 28, to theft of property in the first degree. Searcy was stealing copper wire from an Alabama Power substation.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Vernon Kelly, 47, to robbery in the second degree and burglary in the second degree. Kelly was indicted for robbery and burglary in the first degree but pleaded guilty to the lesser included offense. He has seven prior felony convictions.
• Hollingsworth accepted a guilty plea from Connie Moore, 34, to burglary in the third degree.
Contact Chris Norwood at cnorwood@dailyhome.com.
