26° CLEAR, Men sentenced in 2005 killing
Harrison gets two consecutive life terms; Gatewood gets life in prison
Last Modified: Friday, August 8, 2008 at 11:51 p.m.
Rosie Turner made it clear that she hopes the two men sent to prison Friday for murdering her son will spend the rest of their lives agonizing over his death.
Emmerson Gatewood, the man convicted of firing the shot that killed Parunta Turner on July 12, 2005, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday afternoon by Lauderdale County Circuit Court Judge Mike Jones.
Earlier in the day, Steven Lamont Harrison was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for his admitted role in Turner's death.
Turner, 29, was killed during a home invasion, kidnapping and robbery at his apartment in Florence.
The jury that convicted Gatewood on July 9 of capital murder and first-degree kidnapping for taking Turner's roommate and friend hostage during the invasion had recommended that he be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Jones could have sentenced Gatewood to death.
Harrison, 31, of Madison, Tenn., pleaded guilty in September to felony murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. He received a life sentence for the murder charge and another for the kidnapping charges. He had originally been charged with capital murder and could have received the death penalty had he been convicted during trial.
Harrison will be eligible for parole at some point during his sentence.
At both sentencing hearings, Rosie Turner held up a picture of her son and told the defendants to never forget what he looked like or the suffering they have caused her family.
Gatewood, 37, of Athens, showed no emotion during his sentencing hearing as the victim's mother told him, "I want you to sit in jail or prison and rot there."
Turner's father, Arthur Turner, also chastised Gatewood.
"You didn't have to do what you did. But since you did it, I just hope that God has mercy on your soul," he said.
As he was being led from the courtroom, Gatewood again proclaimed his innocence.
"They're sending the wrong man off," he told a reporter.
During the trial, Gatewood's attorneys said it was Harrison who shot Turner.
Testifying for the prosecution in the penalty phase of Gatewood's trial, Harrison said Gatewood shot Turner.
Harrison testified that he and Gatewood went to Turner's home to collect a debt for Kelvin Larid "Blue" Hines, of Tanner. Hines pleaded guilty in March to murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors argued during the trial that the debt was for cocaine Gatewood had purchased from Hines, who they said was a drug dealer.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, defense attorney Heath Trousdale, of Florence, said the prosecution failed to prove that Gatewood shot Turner and that it would be a miscarriage of justice to sentence him to death. "Execution is not appropriate for Mr. Gatewood."
Gatewood, flanked by his attorneys, stood silently as Jones announced the sentence.
"Mr. Gatewood, you are remanded to the Alabama Department of Corrections' state prison system where you will spend the rest of your natural life," Jones said.
After the hearing, Lauderdale District Attorney Chris Connolly said the sentence was appropriate.
"I'm satisfied with the result, based on the jury's recommendation," he said.
Trousdale declined comment as he left the courtroom. Arthur and Rosie Turner also declined to comment.
Turner's roommate, David Butler, testified in the trial that Gatewood and Harrison bound him with duct tape and held him and his girlfriend, Victoria Byrd, hostage while waiting on Turner to return home. Butler said he's satisfied with sentences that Gatewood and Harrison received.
"I'm just glad it's finally over and we can start trying to get our lives back in somewhat better form," Butler said. "I will never be able to forget what happened that night. It will be with me for the rest of my life."
During Gatewood's sentencing hearing, Butler said Gatewood has never offered to apologize for Turner's death or the home invasion. "You've never said you're sorry or you did it. Just say you did it and that you're sorry."
Harrison offered an apology during his sentencing hearing.
"I am honestly, truly sorry," Harrison said. "I apologize for my role that I played."
Defense attorney Jeff Austin, of Florence, told Turner's family Friday that Harrison has repeatedly expressed remorse for Turner's death. "He's truly sorry for what happened."
Harrison hugged his family and gave them goodbye kisses Friday before a sheriff's deputy led him from a courtroom to begin serving the back-to-back life sentences.
Before leaving the courthouse Friday, Gatewood vowed that he too will be released from prison some day.
"It will just come back on appeal because I didn't do it," he said.
Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.
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Comments
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August 9, 2008 7:41:50 am
RE: http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20.../808090327/1011/NEWS
My heart goes out to this family. As I too am a victim of someone murdering my loved one. I am at least happy that this family will not have to attend parole hearings. One thing I will have to do. The murderer in our case got life with possibility of parole. I hope you are able to find some peace.
August 9, 2008 8:18:24 am
why does your heart go out to his family? What about the family of the person he killed some years ago? He (Turner) killed the son of a lady I work with. Only spent about four yrs. This man was a violent person, and a drug dealer who was responsible for screwing up many people's lives, but the D.A. wouldn't bring that out in trial.
August 9, 2008 8:35:16 am
if this is true (please provide artilce) then my heart does go out the family of the other murdered victim. Murders should die in prison. It would have been different I guess if the faimly of the original murder victims had killed this man.It would be an eye for an eye.
August 9, 2008 8:44:40 am
Maybe you want me to have his mom call you....but an "eye for an eye" means equal judgement, not "I do to you what you did to me"
August 9, 2008 8:59:02 am
Legally, and Biblically, at least in the Old Testament, an eye for an eye, is revenge and means exactly "I (or someone on my behalf) do to you what you did to me."
In the New Testament - sermon on the Mount, Christ said don't do that anymore, "if someone strikes you on one cheek, offer them the other." He calls for forgiveness but crazy fundies ignore this and call for death in spite of what he said.
August 9, 2008 9:57:09 am
Yes Paruntee killed Isiah Carter back in the 90s
I went to High School and played ball with both of them .. They were best friends and cousins in school.. But they both turned to drugs and bad life styles and they got into a fight one day and Turner killed Carter... He shot him in the stomach... Carter also had a gun but it was who pulled the trigger first that lived in that one... This is all sad never the less.. I really did like both of these guys..Although I did not agree with the way they lived..
August 9, 2008 12:33:05 pm
"The tone of the Laws of Moses as found in the dictum 'an eye for an eye' was aimed at ensuring justice and fairness to the offender and the hurt in an equal measure.
An Eye for An Eye
This Law of Moses has only been misunderstood and even ridiculed by people. The sense of justice and fairness encapsulated in it go unappreciated, as there is no effort to understand. It was not always â??an eye for an eyeâ?? and â??a tooth for a toothâ?? in ancient Israel. Laws were meant to protect the innocent and promote fairness in the administration of justice"
An Eye for An Eye, Fairness in Trial and Justice in Ancient Israel
R.Michael Paulraj
...just for the record, the lady I know only said Turner killed her son. No opinions of him or anything. The ones who told of his nature and lifestyle were people who knew him on a personal level.
August 9, 2008 7:23:34 pm
sounds like everyone is getting what they deserved. enough of this forum.
August 10, 2008 4:10:44 am
Yes Parunta killed Isiah Carter and served about four years in prison.No one will ever know what really happened that night but either way a man lost his life.Parunta served his time for his crime and was released.No matter what kind of person Parunta may have been he didn't deserve to be killed just like Isiah didn't.The pain that the Turner family feel is the same pain that the Carter family felt which is quite ironic.No matter what lifestyle both men led their families mourn them as loved ones not criminals.I don't believe that Parunta got what he deserved I believe he chose a lifestyle that carried the risk of something happening to him.The person or persons responsible for the death of Parunta deserve their punishment just as Parunta deserved his punishment because it is a crime to murder someone.
November 14, 2008 1:29:07 pm
How do yall know what he deserve my daddy (Mr Gatewood) didn't kill that man they didn't no evinced that he killed that man they just tried to make in a example of my daddy thats okay it's all ways a part two this time we gone show yall he didn't do it.
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