Though a Summit County jury found Marcus Price not guilty of murder, he is still going to prison.
The same jury convicted Price last week of tampering with evidence for helping to cover up the February 2015 shooting death of his friend, 17-year-old Ahmed Hill, in a West Akron alley.
On Wednesday, Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tammy O’Brien sentenced Price, 19, of Akron, to three years in prison, the maximum possible penalty.
“Only two people really know what happened in that alley,” she said. “Hill was executed by someone and Price tried to cover it up by tampering with evidence. I do believe the maximum sentence is warranted in this matter.”
David Quarterman, 19, of Akron, Price’s co-defendant, will be sentenced at 1 p.m. Thursday. Price claims Quarterman shot Hill, while Quarterman pointed the finger at Price. The teens were the only ones in an alley when Hill was shot twice in the head, execution style, on Feb. 15, 2015.
Under an agreement that required him to testify against Price, Quarterman pleaded guilty in February to complicity to commit voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors dismissed charges of murder and tampering with evidence. O’Brien will sentence Quarterman Thursday for this and an unrelated robbery that Quarterman testified was committed with the same 9 mm pistol used to kill Hill, a “community gun” passed around among a group of Akron teenage males.
Both Quarterman and Price testified in Price’s trial, which ended last week with not guilty verdicts for Price for aggravated murder and murder and a guilty verdict for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Price admitted during his testimony to using bleach on his hands and changing his shoes and clothes after the shooting, though he said he did so at the direction of Quarterman.
Vicki Hill, Ahmed’s mother, was extremely distraught after the jury’s verdict. She stormed out of the courtroom and collapsed in the hallway, screaming and crying. She said she blamed the two teens equally for her son’s death. She didn’t attend Price’s sentencing, but family members said she may be there for Quarterman’s.
Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Kevin Mayer urged O’Brien to impose the maximum possible sentence.
Defense attorney Adam VanHo, however, suggested a one-year sentence, noting Price’s lack of an adult criminal record.
Price, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, told O’Brien that he wants Hill’s mother to know he didn’t shoot her son.
“I’m disappointed she still thinks I had anything to do with that,” he said.
Price said he plans to finish his high school diploma, get a job and live a productive life when he gets out of prison. He said he won’t “hold a grudge” about what happened with this case.
VanHo said after the sentencing that Price likely will appeal.
He said he hopes his client follows through on his plans to finish high school and stay out of trouble.
“Hopefully, he will take three years and grow from it,” VanHo said.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.