Jonathon Brian Fleming was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday after he pleaded guilty to the 2010 murder of his mother, Angela Susan Fleming.
Escambia County District Attorney Steve Billy said the guilty plea was a welcomed end to the case against Fleming.
“We are pleased with the sentencing in the case,” Billy said following the sentencing. “Both sides of the family seemed sympathetic and the plea is one I think everyone can be comfortable with.”
Billy said Fleming would be eligible for parole at sometime during the 20-year span of incarceration, although no time frame on when that would be possible was given.
Fleming stood accused of the December 2010 death of his mother
At the time of the incident, Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the victim died of an apparent gunshot wound. The suspect initially confessed to the shooting of his mother, Lambert said.
“When we arrived at the home, Mrs. Fleming’s body had been wrapped in a rug from the living room and had been placed in the back of the suspect’s truck,” Lambert said. “When he came to the door we took him into custody without incident. He admitted to killing his mother at that time.”
Lambert said officers received a tip that the incident had taken place from a caller who said Fleming had solicited help to dispose of the body.
“The caller stated that Fleming had contacted him and said that he had killed his mother and needed help getting rid of the body,” Lambert said. “Instead of helping, he made that phone call and we responded.”
The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was found at the 805 McGowin Hill Road home near an outbuilding. A car located there was filled with clothes believed to belong to the suspect.
Lambert said the victim and the suspect lived together at the home and there was no evidence anyone else was at the home at the time of the shooting.
Also during court proceedings Monday, Bruce Edward Day, a resident of the Nokomis community, plead guilty to murder in the death of 25-year-old Woodrow Judge “Token” Allen – a case that took more than 12 years to bring to a close.
Allen was reported missing in December 2001 — just a month after Day was charged with reckless endangerment and attempted murder involving an incident between the victim and the suspect.
Following Allen’s disappearance, investigators turned up evidence that fingered Day as the prime suspect in the case.
In 2009, Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Day at his place of employment when the suspect fled the scene. That attempt to elude officers lead authorities in two states on a manhunt that would put the University of West Florida in lockdown mode for several hours.
After more than 48 hours of searching by law enforcement officers, Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith took Day into custody at his father’s 5th Avenue home in Atmore without incident.
Day was sentenced to 20 years but under a split-sentence will serve three years in prison followed by seven years probation.
“We are satisfied with this plea and with the sentencing in this case,” Billy said. “I think this was a good plea for the state.”
Billy said other cases could be brought to an end in coming days as the two-week session of the criminal docket continues.