McPHERSON – A 25-year-old McPherson man entered a no-contest plea Monday, to first degree felony murder in association with the shooting death of 30-year-old Justin Milne.
The case goes back to May 29, 2011, when Smith is alleged to have shot Milne multiple times at his home in McPherson. He then allegedly took Milne in his own vehicle to Marion County where he dumped his body, then set the vehicle on fire at a separate location. Milne’s body was found in a secluded campsite area of Marion County the next day.
The case started when McPherson Law Enforcement received information that Milne may be a victim of foul play, and they then began trying to locate him and his black 1998 Chevy Tahoe.
They then learned that Milne’s vehicle was found in Marion County fully engulfed in flames, but his body was not found in the vehicle or at the scene. Smith was reportedly found and arrested in the area where the truck was burned.
McPherson County Attorney David Page had charged Smith with four additional counts including aggravated burglary and possession of a firearm, but the lesser charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
He says the family of the victim had approved the resolution of the case and were pleased with the presumptive penalty of life imprisonment for Smith. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, and faces life with no chance of parole for 20-years.
Smith had been on community corrections for possession of drug paraphernalia, and sales of drugs for a case that goes back to 2009.