Marion Patterson III will soon learn his fate for his role in the 2010 shooting death of Arizona State University student Zachary Marco.
Patterson, one of two men charged in Marco's murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February, and this morning, a judge scheduled his sentencing for 9 a.m. on July 17, according to a court spokesman.
Marco was 21 years old when he was gunned down after refusing to give up
his belongings in a robbery attempt while walking home from the
school's Tempe campus.
Patterson, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, and his co-defendant Louis Eugene Harper, who was 20,
were both charged with murdering Marco in November 2010.
Court records show Harper's still scheduled to go to trial on his charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery in early 2013.
Patterson's deal knocked his charge down to second-degree murder, but
there's no indication that Harper -- the alleged shooter -- was offered a
deal by prosecutors.
A few weeks before the two were arrested, Marco's father made a plea to a national audience on CBS's The Early Show, asking that the shooter's accomplice -- eventually determined to be Patterson -- turn himself in.
In
return, Dan Marco said he'd help provide legal defense to the
accomplice, ensuring he'd get a deal that "allows him to see the light
of day again."
Weeks later, the two were arrested, but not because Patterson turned himself or Harper in.
Both
suspects' fingerprints were found on Zachary Marco's computer bag,
which was located later near the crime scene, and text messages between
Patterson and Harper discussing the shooting were found by police as a
result of a search warrant.
The day they were arrested, Dan Marco said the deal was off the table since Patterson never came forward.
Patterson
apparently still got lucky with his plea deal, but he'll be facing at
least a decade in prison at his sentencing, which was initially scheduled for April 10.
For
what it's worth, Harper was already on probation through Maricopa
County for theft and resisting arrest, and had a history of skipping out
on court dates.
Harper's arrest record also included charges of
reckless assault and criminal damage that were dismissed, a guilty plea
for driving with a suspended license, and a guilty plea to a misdemeanor
marijuana charge before being arrested in Marco's killing.
Court records don't show any previous history on Patterson, although as we mentioned earlier, Patterson was 17 at the time of his arrest in Marco's murder.
