A Searcy father accused of fatally beating his 2-year-old son, Malik Drummond, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest in his death, according to White County Circuit Judge Robert Edwards' office.
Jeffery Clifton, 43, was charged with capital murder and abuse of a corpse after the toddler’s remains were found Dec. 1, 2015, in a vacant lot in Auvergne, days after Drummond had been fatally beaten Nov. 20, 2014.
He pleaded no contest Friday to a lesser charge of second-degree murder and the charge of abuse of a corpse, the prosecutor's office said.
Clifton received the maximum sentence for each in the Arkansas Department of Correction — 30 years and 10 years, respectively. The sentences are to be served consecutively.
Clifton, a former basketball standout at Arkansas State University, initially told investigators that Drummond had wandered away from home.
His former girlfriend, Lesley Sue Marcotte, 28, of Springdale, later told authorities that Clifton had beaten Drummond and kept the body hidden for nearly three days.
Check back with Arkansas Online for updates and read Saturday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Information for this report was contributed by Debra Hale-Shelton of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
