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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A man convicted of killing two Shelby County residents in Westover in 1996 at the age of 16, was resentenced on Friday, Sept. 13 to life without the possibility of parole by Circuit Judge Jonathan Spann after a two day hearing.

Presley, age 16 at the time, and 18-year-old LaSamuel Gamble killed John’s Pawn Shop owner John Burleson and store manager Janice Littleton at the U.S. 280 store in Westover on July 25, 1996. During the robbery, Gamble and Presley stole 33 firearms and jewelry and shot both victims before leaving. The robbery was one of a series of robberies and murder committed by the two across several jurisdictions. After a 15-day manhunt, authorities located Gamble and Presley in Norfolk, Virginia.

Gamble previously received a death sentence for his part in the crimes but had his sentencing overturned and was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Oct. 11, 2012.

Presley was originally sentenced to death for two counts of capital murder after a jury recommended that sentence at his trial in 1997, however, his sentence was automatically commuted to life without the possibility of parole when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death sentence cannot be given to those under 18 at the time of their offense.

Subsequent to that ruling, the Supreme Court held that the court must consider a sentence with the possibility of parole for those less than 18 years of age. Since Presley was automatically sentenced to life without parole, the court was required to hold another sentencing hearing to consider a parole eligible sentence.

“It is unfathomable to me that we are still dealing with the consequences of Marcus Presley’s brutal crimes almost 30 years after they were committed,” District Attorney Matt Casey said. “We’re thankful that he remains sentenced to the highest penalty that the law allows, and we hope that the families of the two victims will be able to find some closure.”

Original to the case, retired Sgt. Russell Yawn and Retired Capt. Michael DeHart testified at Presley’s sentencing hearing with details of the investigation which was carried out by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Retired Chief Assistant District Attorney Randy Hillman and Assistant District Attorney Brooke Grigsby represented the state of Alabama.