On Monday, Circuit Judge Brooke Reid gave Quartez De’Mario Luster, 24, a 20-year split sentence. He got credit for the 251 days he has already served and will spend five years in state prison.. The crime happened on April 14, 2018 in what police called a “violent altercation.” The affidavit states Luster shot Payne with a handgun as Payne was driving away. The document states Payne got out of the car and tried to run away, but Luster shot him in the back as he ran, killing him.
Luster was originally charged with murder. Court records show he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in February. Police say the 2018 incident also led to the death of another person, Kalvin Sankey. Police said if Payne had lived, he would have been charged with murdering Sankey.Copyright 2023 WSFA. All rights reserved.