Man Wrongfully Imprisoned For Murder Now On Trial For Shooting Childhood Friend

A man is on trial accused of shooting his childhood friend after he spent two decades in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Wednesday, May 5th 2021, 5:36 pm

By: Reagan Ledbetter


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A man who was previously convicted of murder and spent two decades in prison, before later being found innocent, is now on trial accused of shooting his childhood friend.

Demarco Carpenter was released from prison in 2016, then arrested in 2019, accused of shooting Sheldon Reed. The victim, Sheldon Reed, took the stand for a second time today and testified he was 100 % sure Demarco Carpenter is the person who shot him in 2019.

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Prosecutors called several more witnesses to the stand today, including Carpenters brother. Investigators say in 2019, Reed was found shot several times inside of his truck in a parking lot near Pine and MLK. Officers who were at the scene testified there was no evidence at the scene such as broken glass, shell casings, or other evidence that the shooting happened there.

Investigators determined the shooting happened somewhere else, and even though Reed initially told police he didn’t know who shot him, he later said it was Carpenter.

Carpenter's brother testified that he, Carpenter and Reed have all known each other and have been friends for years. He testified that on the night Reed was shot, all of them were together at a house before the shooting but there were no arguments or anything.

He said later that evening he got a call from his cousin that Reed had been shot and that he saw it all happen. Carpenters brother acknowledged there was some information regarding the shooting that was never told to police because he said a lot of people who live in that area of Tulsa, don’t trust the police.

Prosecutors say they plan to wrap up their case in the morning, then Carpenters attorneys will start calling their witnesses to the stand.

Reagan Ledbetter

Reagan Ledbetter joined the News On 6 team close to June 2018 as a multimedia journalist. Over the years, he has become a familiar face to viewers, now anchoring the News On 6 at Noon. Reagan also specializes in crime reporting, with his dedication to journalism being driven by his passion for keeping Oklahomans safe and informed.

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