Greenville, MS – In Washington County Circuit Court, several defendants have recently been sentenced for committing violent crimes within our community, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson announced.
Damien Cooper, 22 yoa, was scheduled to stand trial earlier this month but he opted to plead guilty to his actions. Cooper was facing a charge of 1st Degree Murder and he faced a potential penalty of Life in prison. In open court, Damien Cooper admitted his guilt in that he shot Larry Triplett, Jr. here in Greenville, MS on September 9, 2013. Cooper pled guilty to 2nd Degree Murder and was sentenced to 38 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. After entering his plea of guilty Damien Cooper was remanded to the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections where he will serve the duration of his sentence. Earlier this year Cooper pled guilty to another shooting and agreed to testify against his co-defendant Bennie Motton. Motton subsequently pled guilty and received a 38 year sentence.
On yesterday, Terrance Morgan, 26 yoa, pled guilty to his role in the August 25, 2012 robbery and shooting of a Greenville woman and to his role in the Auto Burglary of Lawrence “Shine” Thornton’s property on October 18, 2013. The burglary occurred after two other Greenville men killed Mr. Thornton. Terrance Morgan faced several charges that had been handed down by Washington County Grand Juries and he pled guilty this week to Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Auto Burglary, and two Conspiracy Charges. Morgan was sentenced to a total of 28 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, where he will serve the first 23 years in prison without any opportunity for early release or parole. Morgan has agreed to testify against the others involved in his crimes.
Earlier today in Washington County Circuit Court, Henry Gibbs, Jr., 64 yoa, pled guilty in the middle of his trial for the charges of Armed Robbery and Car Theft. Gibbs’ trial began yesterday evening when residents of Washington County appeared for jury selection. This morning after the jury was selected and after District Attorney Dewayne Richardson gave his opening statement Gibbs pled guilty. In open court Gibbs admitted to robbing an elderly Greenville resident with a handgun and stealing her car back in 2007. Since he committed this crime on January 18, 2007, Gibbs had been in custody in Illinois for other felony charges. Recently Henry Gibbs was brought back to Mississippi to answer to the crimes he committed. Gibbs was sentenced to 13 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections where he will serve the first 8 years without any opportunity for early release or parole.
Richardson added that, “the District Attorney’s office feels that justice has been served by these defendants being brought to justice. What’s most important is that all of these inmates will now serve mandatory time without any opportunity for early release or parole. I would like to thank the Greenville Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department for their tireless efforts in solving these cases.”
April 29, 2015
Contact: W. Dewayne Richardson
District Attorney, Fourth Circuit Court District | 662-378-2105