MOULTRIE — The first of three defendants to plead guilty to being party to the shooting death of a Hispanic farmworker and the wounding of another during a 2006 home burglary was sentenced this week.

Marcus A. Stevenson of Moultrie was sentenced in Colquitt County Superior Court to nine years prison and 11 years probation for his plea to voluntary manslaughter. In addition to other probation conditions, Stevenson is to pay restitution to Colquitt Regional Medical Center for the medical care of the victims.

Last week, a hung jury resulted in a mistrial in the felony murder case against Anthony Thompson of Moultrie. Prosecutors think Thompson was the triggerman in the assault that killed Diego Diaz Gomez, 22, and shot Santos Manuel Perez, 16.

Stevenson, along with codefendants Tyrus C. Carter and Charles Kinsey Jr. testified against Thompson as part of plea deals. They each pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the case, but sentencing was suspended until after Thompson's trial.

While testimony showed all four men carried guns, Carter, Stevenson and Kinsey said on the stand that Thompson suggested the burglary, carried a .22-caliber rifle with a long clip and kicked in the door, but the defense argued that the three were attempting to use Thompson as a scapegoat.