MO State HS Sports

Columbia man pleads guilty to manslaughter in February killing

A Columbia man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the February shooting death of a teenager.

Court records say Justin Shelton, 26, entered his plea Thursday. Police say he was with Joseph Taylor, 17, who was shot and killed at a home on Doris Drive on Feb. 5. Investigators say it was a drug deal gone wrong. The two allegedly broke into the homeowner’s bedroom. The homeowner then picked up a gun Taylor had set down and shot him, while Shelton ran away.

Gracie Avery was also charged in the case. She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in March.

Shelton will be sentenced on Jan. 21, 2021.

(This story was last updated at 6:29 a.m. Friday.)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *