A 29-year-old Centralia man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the December 2019 shooting death of Clender Edmond of the Metro-East area.
Blake Shahan pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge in Marion County Court on Tuesday. In addition to the prison time, he was placed on two years of parole and given credit for 342 days already served in jail.
Shahan had testified at the trial of co-defendant Mantez Duncan that he and another co-defendant Krystal Scerba were able to get Edmond to leave the Industrial Tavern and take him to the Cardell Thomas home east of Central City at the direction of Mantez Duncan. Duncan indicated Edmond had stolen money from him. Shahan admitted taking a gun from Edmond as an attempt was made to choke him out. Shahan later admitted watching as Duncan shot and killed Edmond.
Shahan was the fourth of the five charged with the murder to be sentenced. Duncan was sentenced to 55 years in prison after being found guilty of first degree murder by a Marion County Jury. Thomas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Darleedria ‘Bubbles’ Flippen of Centralia received a six-year prison term after entering an Alford plea to a reduced charge of robbery.
First-degree murder charges are still pending against Scerba.
