Three people pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping and killing a 13-year-old Detroit boy who disappeared earlier this year after picking up less than $100 that one of them had dropped outside an east side store, Detroit News reports.
The incident, which occurred May 31, started when, according to Deontae Mitchell's 13-year-old cousin, he and Deontae took up money that they saw a man, later identified as Gregory Walker, drop when he urinated behind Nino's Market on the east side.
Surveillance footage showed Deontae being forced into a car by Walker outside the store. Deontae was abducted and driven around the city as Walker tried to force the teen to tell him where he lived.
According to Detroit News, a witness said that the teen cried and begged to be let go, even as his hands were bound with white rope.
Deontae's body was found in a field on the east side of the city less than two days after his abduction.
According to the report, Ernest Coleman—who is believed to have restrained Deontae in the car—faced charges of torture, unlawful imprisonment, felony firearm, felon in possession and habitual third offender in the slaying of Deontae. As the Detroit News notes, a sentence evaluation predicted 12 to 15 years for the torture charge, 10 to 15 years for unlawful imprisonment, one to five years for felon in possession and two years for felony firearm.
Lillian Roberts, Coleman's mother, who was also in the car, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping charges, taking a plea deal for 24 to 40 years in prison, while Walker also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and felony firearm charges, with a sentencing agreement of 40 to 60 years.
An attorney who represented Roberts has maintained that her client had nothing to do with injuring or killing the teen. Walker's attorney has maintained that the death was an accident.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 9.
Read more at the Detroit News.