A Murray man will serve up to five years behind bars for killing a man during a dispute at a Central City drug house.
Third District Judge Leslie Lewis gave Calvin Leroy Moore, 22, a zero-to-five-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to homicide by assault, a third-degree felony.Moore had originally been charged with murder, a first-degree felony. But prosecutors agreed to the plea bargain because of conflicting testimony that the killing may have been in self-defense.
Moore admitted in court to shooting Clifton Uckerman, 47, in the stomach and chest during a May 14, 1997, dispute at 640 E. 300 South. Police said it wasn't the first time their dispute led to gunfire. Three days earlier, Moore had shot Uckerman in the buttocks after Uckerman threw hot wax at him, according to investigators.
The underlying cause of the dispute was a drug debt. The house had generated complaints for months before Uckerman's death. Neighbors had complained of noise, fighting and traffic at all hours.
Following the shooting, the tenants were evicted and the house closed down.