ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man was sentenced Monday for his role in a 2019 murder when he was still a juvenile.
Prosecutors with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said Cortez McCullough, 19, along with Teraz Bateman and Earl Payne, set up a fake marijuana deal in order to rob associates of cash. The trio met with Charles Lagrone III and others on Aug. 9, 2019, in the 5500 block of Goodfellow Boulevard, located in the city’s Walnut Park West neighborhood.
At some point during the transaction, Lagrone was shot and killed. He was 22.
Prosecutors said McCullough, who was 14 at the time, fired the rifle used to kill Lagrone.
McCullough had been charged with second-degree murder and was scheduled to face trial next week. However, he reached a plea agreement with the Circuit Attorney’s Office and pleaded guilty to two counts of armed criminal action, stealing, and a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter.
The judge sentenced McCullough to 10 years in state prison. McCullough will receive credit for time served.
Payne was in the midst of a jury trial in April 2023 when he pleaded guilty to armed criminal action, robbery, witness tampering, gun theft, and a reduced charge of second-degree murder. A circuit court judge sentenced Payne to 20 years in state prison.
Meanwhile, Bateman was sentenced to life in prison in October 2022 after being convicted of second-degree murder, robbery, and armed criminal action.
