NC man sentenced after manslaughter guilty plea in York County shooting death
A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a 2020 shooting death near Lake Wylie.
Kevin Tyrone Gill, 37, of Gastonia was sentenced after he pleaded guilty Tuesday in York County criminal court to voluntary manslaughter, according to prosecutors and court records.
Marcus W. Smith, 32, also of Gaston County, was killed in October 2020 after a dispute between the two men at a home on Bowling Green Drive north of Clover, according to 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor John Anthony.
Prosecutors Anthony and Hannah Woods were set to start a trial Tuesday on a murder charge against Gill, but Gill pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the trial started.
Gill had been in jail since late 2020 after his arrest by York County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Gill pleaded guilty in an Alford plea to manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in a negotiated agreement with prosecutors, Anthony said.
In an Alford plea, a defendant does not have to admit guilt, but accepts that if the case went to trial he would likely be found guilty, according to prosecutors. For sentencing, an Alford plea is treated the same as a guilty plea under S.C. law.
Judge Bill McKinnon accepted the 20-year negotiated sentence and guilty plea, records show.
Gill must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence because there is no parole for manslaughter, Anthony said.
Gill received credit for 905 days he has been in jail since his arrest.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 4:02 PM.
