Clifton Dean Sentenced to 25 YEARS after Jury Trial and Conviction

Dewayne RichardsonBreaking News, Mississippi Delta DA 4th District

Greenville, MS—On Monday, August 13th, Senior Circuit Judge Ashley Hines sentenced Clifton Dean to the maximum punishment allowed for his role in the killing of Frederick Williams on March 30, 2012.

Dean was convicted by a Washington County Jury at the conclusion of his trial in mid-July. During the sentencing hearing, relatives of Williams fought back tears and channeled emotion to explain to the Court how the senseless killing of their beloved family member had impacted their lives and the lives of those they represented. Dean faced up to twenty-five years.

Manslaughter carries a maximum of 20 years and, because he used a firearm, Dean would be sentenced to an additional 5 years due to the Firearm Enhancement. In Mississippi, Circuit Judges have the discretion to order defendants to serve the 5-year enhancement at the same time as the underlying sentence or after they have completed the underlying sentence. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Kaylon McCou urged the Court to impose the full 20-year term and run the 5-year enhancement after the original sentence given the horrendous nature of Dean’s part in the killing. The Court ordered Dean to stand and sentenced him to the maximum of 20 years for Manslaughter and ordered the additional 5 years for the Firearm Enhancement to begin after the 20 year sentence.

This case was prosecuted at trial by ADA McCou along with ADA John Herzog, Jr. McCou adds that, “No amount of prison time will return Frederick Williams to his family and I am sure they would trade it all for another day with him. But we do hope that the conviction and sentencing of Dean will bring Williams’ family a sense of justice and closure as they work to heal from this tragedy.”

Contact: W. Dewayne Richardson District Attorney, Fourth Circuit Court District | 662-378-2105