Two weeks after testifying in the murder trial of his co-defendant, a Doniphan man was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison Tuesday afternoon for his role in the 2016 shooting death of a convicted sex offender.
Accompanied by his attorney, Ted Liszewski, Matthew Brandon Bruce appeared before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for sentencing, having pleaded guilty in May to the Class B felony of voluntary manslaughter.
At that time, the state, represented by Special Prosecuting Attorney Steve Sokoloff, told Pritchett he had agreed to reduce the 31-year-old's charges if he testified truthfully at the trial of Michael "Mick" Harris in Stoddard County.
Bruce was among the state's witnesses who testified during Harris' two-day trial in June regarding the April 26, 2016, death of Jonathan Tarvin, aka Giovanni Luciendada, 34.
Tarvin, who had earlier been convicted of child molestation in Texas, had been living with Harris' mother-in-law/Bruce's aunt prior to his death.
After having learned of Tarvin's conviction, Harris, according to witnesses, confronted Tarvin and told him he needed to leave the woman's Ripley County home.
According to testimony, Harris and Bruce left the residence with Tarvin and went to Bruce's residence, where Harris shot Tarvin once with a black-powder revolver.
The men then drug Tarvin's body to a slab pile and covered him with slabs.
Bruce testified they left Tarvin's body there, and when he later returned, the body was no longer there.
The jury deliberated 55 minutes in convicting Harris of the felonies of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse. Harris' sentencing is set for Aug. 15.
During Tuesday's brief hearing, Sokoloff told Pritchett it was the state's recommendation that Bruce be sentenced to nine years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Pritchett followed the state's recommendation in formally sentencing Bruce.
"Mr. Bruce is very thankful justice was served today," Liszewski said. "Initially, (Ripley County assistant prosecuting attorney) Kacey Proctor and (Ripley County prosecuting attorney) Christopher Miller greatly overvalued his liability, but in the end, after working with Mr. Sokoloff, we were able to come to a fair disposition, punishment as needed, and the victims were happy with the outcome as well."
Ultimately, Liszewski said, the result and closure of the victims "comes down to two attorneys, who had the experience necessary to handle a case of this significance."