Almost two years since Alphra Lee Miller, of Ridgeway, was killed by a single bullet through the heart, two suspects have been sentenced by Judge Howard King for their involvement with the murder.

Willie “Bud” Adams Jr. was found guilty of murder on Thursday by an all female jury and sentenced to 40 years in jail.

“We’re pleased with the verdict and the sentence,” said Solicitor Doug Barfield.

After four days of testimony, the jury returned with a guilty verdict in just a few short hours.

Lavern Jackson, the second suspect charged with murder, pled guilty to a lesser charge of volunteer manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years.

Jackson also testified against Adams, and was one of two witnesses for the state to say he saw Adams pull the trigger.

Recalling the afternoon Miller was killed, Jackson told the jury that Adams was standing in front of him when he raised the gun and shot Miller in the back.

“Two shots were fired,” Jackson recalled Thursday morning. “Alphra Lee just fell. He hollered and fell”

Vicki Smith, a former drug addict who was at the residence of Bryan Lawhorn during the incident, said she also saw Adams shoot Miller.

All of the other witnesses – acquaintances of both the victim and defendant – testified to seeing Adams shoot at Miller’s feet a few minutes before the fatal shot was fired.

“Bud continuously asked Alphra Lee where the [expletive] was at,” testified Adams’ ex-fiancee, Kimberly Lawson. “Alphra Lee was saying ‘I don’t know, I don’t know’ while backing up.”

Adams, Jackson and Lawhorn were all charged with murder following the April 5, 2008 homicide. According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement responded to a call at 3252 Flint Hill Rd., Ridgeway, after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots in the area and seeing several black males run into the woods, and someone wearing a yellow shirt laying on the ground. When deputies arrived they found Miller on the ground with some type of wound to his left lower abdomen.

Lawhorn’s case is still pending.

Testimonies showed that Miller supposedly stole a package – believed to be illegal drugs – that belonged to Adams the night before the shooting. On that Saturday, when Miller arrived at Lawhorn’s house with Lawson, Smith and Reginald Gibson, he and Adams exchanged words before an altercation broke out between the two men and Lawhorn. Lawhorn allegedly hit Miller with a pipe, and in addition to shooting at Miller, Adams also tried to hit him with a 2x4.

Lawhorn, the only witness to testify for the defense, said Jackson was the one who shot Miller.

“As soon as I come out the house I see Bud lay the gun down on the ground. Boo [Lavern Jackson] picks it up and puts it in his back pocket,” Lawhorn said.

He also told the jury that he and Adams were standing away from Miller and Jackson when the final shots were fired.

“The last person I saw with the gun was Boo [Lavern Jackson],” Lawhorn said.

Gibson and Lawson, who both testified for the state, were charged with accessory to murder. Both cases are still pending.