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Keith Appling, a former basketball player for Michigan State, was given a sentence of up to 40 years in jail on Friday for shooting Clyde Edmonds, 66, dead in 2021.
According to the Associated Press, Appling, who admitted guilt to second-degree murder last month, was sentenced to between 18 and 40 years in prison in addition to two years on a felony firearm charge.
“What an extremely sad turn of events for a man that once had a promising future,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a release. “This was a senseless crime, and the fact remains that his victim will never know another day of life.”
Following an argument over a handgun on May 22, 2021, Appling shot Edmonds. Later, the hospital pronounced him dead. Edmonds and Appling’s mother, according to the authorities, are first cousins.
Natalie Bannister, Appling’s girlfriend, escorted him away from the crime site. Bannister pleaded guilty to one count of lying to a police officer and was given a 16-month probationary period as punishment. The accusation that she was a shooting accessory was dropped.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Appling, a Detroit Pershing graduate, was crowned the 2010 Michigan Mr. Basketball. He was a player for Michigan State from 2010 to 2014, and his junior season saw him lead the team in scoring.
Appling played for two NBA G-League teams briefly after going undrafted. He continued to play basketball professionally abroad, in Italy, until 2019.