A Logan County man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony hindering apprehension or prosecution in the 2013 shooting death of a Paris man.
Logan County Circuit Court records show Brett Bodine, 53, was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years suspended as part of a plea agreement with the state. The first-degree murder charge that had been filed against him in October 2013 was dismissed.
Bodine was supposed to have gone on trial in circuit court in Paris on Monday.
A Logan County Circuit Court jury convicted Bodine's brother, Harry Bodine, 54, of first-degree murder and hindering apprehension or prosecution Sept. 30. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The two men were charged in the May 13, 2013, shooting of Joseph Stapleton, 33, outside his north Paris home.
According to testimony at Harry Bodine's trial, Harry Bodine -- armed with a .32-caliber pistol -- and Brett Bodine drove to Stapleton's home to talk to him because they were upset that he beat his elderly father. Harry Bodine told police that he took the gun because he knew Stapleton would be drunk and there could be trouble.
When the brothers arrived at the house, Brett Bodine called for Stapleton to come out and talk. The brothers said Stapleton rushed at Harry Bodine with a brake drum. He told authorities he shot Stapleton seven times in self-defense.
No brake drum was found at the scene.
Metro on 03/04/2015