Mecklenburg County prosecutors pled Marion Gales’ murder charge down to voluntary manslaughter, resulting in a sentence of 80 to 105 months. The state said it simply did not have to the evidence to convict Gales of the April 2008 murder of LaCoya Monique Martin, 27. If Gales receives credit for the year he has spent in the Mecklenburg County jail awaiting trial, his sentence will be even shorter than six years.
Gales claimed that a crack-smoking friend by the name of “Woodrow” showed him Martin’s body. “Woodrow” was questioned and polygraphed by investigators, but never charged.
Gales, recall, is the man DA Peter Gilchrist held was incapable of committing the murder of Kim Thomas back in 1990. If want to believe that previous determination played no role in the decision not to prosecute Gales for murder in the Martin case, you can.
I just know our criminal justice system is hopelessly broken.
