Four Reach Plea Deals in Tyler Motel Murder

TYLER � Four East Texas men have reached plea deals with the Smith County District Attorney’s Office in connection with a 2013 murder. KETK reports Lawrence Murphy Jr. was one of the four accused in the killing of Wesley Scott Lester at the American Inn Motel in Tyler in June of last year. Instead of capital murder, Murphy was charged with murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after reaching his plea deal Friday morning. Murphy was believed to have fled to the Dallas area after he was sought by police for the June 15 murder. He turned himself in to Tyler Police investigators nine days after the killing.

Darian Pilkinton and Broderick Smith, whose charges were also reduced from capital murder to murder, entered guilty pleas in exchange for 40 years and 15 years in prison, respectively. The fourth suspect connected to the murder, Michael Browning, accepted a 30-year sentence in exchange for his guilty plea on August 17.