A local man who fatally shot a female companion last year while firing at another man's residence during a dispute was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.
Kendrion DeRay Gulley, 29, who has remained in custody in lieu of $500,000 bond since his arrest Oct. 27, 2015, was originally charged with first-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, but pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to the amended charge and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to a firearm enhancement and was sentenced to 15 years, to run consecutively, for a total of 25 years.
Gulley, who was set to stand trial Aug. 30, was taken into custody around 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 27 at a residence on Vista Street after a brief standoff with Hot Springs police, following an investigation into the shooting death of Felicia Ann Mikel, 28, of Hot Springs, late on the night of Oct. 25.
Deputy Prosecutor Joe Graham said Tuesday it didn't appear that Gulley intended to shoot Mikel that night. He said he consulted with Mikel's next of kin, who were in favor of the plea agreement under the circumstances.
"We made an offer and (his attorney) made a counteroffer and (Mikel's) grandmother was satisfied with it," he said.
According to the affidavit, at approximately 12:02 a.m. on Oct. 26, HSPD officers were called to a possible shooting at 215 Oak St. and upon arrival made contact with a male resident who stated Mikel had come to the residence a short time earlier with another person attempting to sell him a gun.
The two of them had been dropped off in a nearby parking lot by a black male known to them as "Gulley" and had walked to the residence from there. The resident said Mikel was selling the gun for Gulley.
The resident spoke to Gulley, whom he has known for some time, over the phone about the purchase of the gun. During the negotiations, Gulley became angry and repeatedly threatened his life, he said.
Gulley reportedly yelled he would "come to the house and shoot him with his children present." Several witnesses were present at the house when the conversation took place and overheard parts of it.
Shortly after the phone conversation ended, all of the witnesses heard a male voice outside the residence yelling obscenities about a gun and they all noted it sounded like the voice was "just outside the window."
The resident said he recognized the voice as Gulley's, and that Gulley was still screaming through the open window about the sale of the gun when one shot was fired through the window into the residence, striking Mikel.
Earlier reports noted Mikel died from a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene and her body was sent to the state crime lab in Little Rock for an autopsy.
On the morning of Oct. 27, police reported a warrant had been issued for Gulley. Later in the day, police developed information about the vehicle Gulley was driving, which was located parked at the Vista Street residence.
After confirming Gulley was inside, police set up a perimeter around the house and used a PA to order Gulley to come out. After a few minutes, he surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
Local on 08/24/2016